Background information
Why have our neighbours not heard of the cherry stone pillow?
by Carolin Teufelberger
Stories from the wastepaper basket
7.6.2022
Translation: Jessica Johnson-Ferguson
Not every story the editorial team churns out is published. The unpublished pieces languish in limbo until they’re eventually forgotten. I dug up three of them for our Galaxus packaging insert to give you an exclusive glimpse into some of the rubbish we produce.
As the saying goes, you can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs. This also goes for the daily life of an editor. Alongside journalistic masterpieces, my colleagues and I also regularly type up stories destined for the wastepaper basket. Some of them are written really badly. Some of them are based on an idea that isn’t that good after all. Some of them are prevented from being published because of what’s going on in the world at the time.
Story 1
I struggle to produce a text in a rush without sacrificing quality. The TV show «Karambolage» on Arte seemed to be my saviour. It revealed to me that the French as well as many other Europeans are unfamiliar with cherry stone pillows. «That’s a disgrace,» I thought to myself. I started to do some research on the matter and gave the story my own spin. Unfortunately, it didn’t convince my no-nonsense proofreader. He expected more: interviews with cherry stone pillow manufacturers and quotes from the rest of Europe. Lots of research, in other words. I was frustrated because I knew my colleague was right. However, I completely lost interest in the story.
Story 2
Simon Balissat’s text for the trash, on the other hand, was spawned by defiance. He wanted to prove to himself and the entire editorial team how quickly he could churn out an article if he simply threw quality and relevance out of the window. The aim being to highlight the importance of journalistic standards. His endeavours resulted in a cooking spoon guide that was never published. To this day, it’s my favourite text by Simon because of gems like these:
«Time to stir things up and broaden our cookware horizon. There’s a lot to discover beyond the cooking spooniverse.»
Story 3
«Four speakers that trick you into thinking there are twelve of them. Is this revolutionary? Nope. But it still sounds impressive.» That’s how Luca Fontana described the new Sony soundsystem HTA-9. The only fly in the ointment? It’s still not available in Switzerland. Sales would have started in January, but the speakers have still not made it out of Asia due to delivery problems.
So there you have it, a sneak peek into our wastepaper basket. What do you say? Are the articles not as bad as you expected or should I have left them in the bin?
My life in a nutshell? On a quest to broaden my horizon. I love discovering and learning new skills and I see a chance to experience something new in everything – be it travelling, reading, cooking, movies or DIY.
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