​Dear readers,

The YACHT editorial team receives emails every day. Some are full of praise, others correct details, and yet others begin, more or less, with: “How could you possibly …?”

Why do you rate this boat so highly? Why are you giving this person a platform? Why are you showcasing products that hardly anyone can afford? Admittedly, people don’t always enjoy reading this sort of news. It touches on sensitive issues, is sometimes unfair, and sometimes the writers are simply right. Anyone who publishes content must expect to face opposition.

As a sailor and long-standing reader of *YACHT*, I have always had clear expectations of the magazine and its website: thorough research, accurate facts and a balanced perspective. I’ve now been an editorial trainee for half a year. What I’m only really coming to realise at the editorial meeting table is just how intensely these issues are debated on a daily basis. After all, many things simply can’t be categorised as right or wrong: what topics should be covered? Who should be given how much space? Which perspective is still missing? Even at the morning meeting, we’re already locked in a fierce battle to come up with the best arguments.

I quickly learnt during my first few weeks that accuracy is not just a cliché. A casual ‘Surely …’ won’t cut it here. The only thing that counts is information that’s rock-solid. When colleagues immediately ask, ‘Are you really sure about that? Is there a second source to back it up?’, a quick draft ends up turning into thorough research after all.

For us, the ‘Democracy Needs Many Voices’ campaign (14 to 19 September) is therefore more than just a logo on the cover of the magazine. A look behind the scenes shows what this phrase means in practice in our day-to-day media work.

If someone tells us about damage, a dispute within a club or problems at a shipyard, we could publish the story online straight away. But outrage is no substitute for evidence. We ask questions, check documents, confront those involved and piece together the facts. This takes time and sometimes disappoints those who had hoped for unconditional support. But journalism must not simply amplify the loudest voice. Our task is to carry out thorough research and provide facts so that you, our readers, can form your own judgement on that basis.

In an age of AI-generated content, algorithms that reward sensationalism, and unverified online rumours, this painstaking work is more important than ever. This also applies to water sports: shipyard managers, boat owners, regatta and cruising sailors, conservationists and harbour operators often have conflicting interests. Our task is not to iron out these differences, but to make them transparent.

“Democracy needs many voices” does not mean repeating statements without checking them. It means giving a voice to diversity and ensuring that, in the editorial team, we distinguish facts from opinions. This is not just empty rhetoric, but day-to-day hard work: making phone calls, verifying information, and questioning what we hear.

And every now and then, I reply to an email that begins with: ‘How could you possibly …?’

I'm glad you asked.

Wishing you a lovely weekend,
Antonia von Lamezan

Intern, Water Sports Editorial Team

See also:

• ​Journalism means: check the facts for yourself before passing judgement
• ​Journalism in a world hostile to journalism: The Great Noise
• ​Interview with author Thea Dorn: ‘The million-dollar question of democracy’

Editor's reading recommendations

• Click here to view all previous “YACHT-Woche” columns