Short Biography
Paloma Gimenez Gil is a journalist and corporate communications specialist with professional experience across media organizations, corporations and the financial sector. She holds an MA in Public Media from Fordham University (New York) and has a strong background in international communication.
She is currently conducting her research project "Framing “Too Big to Fail”: A Case Study of the Acquisition of Credit Suisse by UBS in Key Global Financial Hub Media" at the Department of Communication and Media Research at the University of Zurich. The project analyzes how this landmark banking acquisition was communicated and framed in international financial media, offering insights into corporate communication strategies in high-stakes, globally visible contexts.
Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship Project
Framing “Too Big to Fail”: A Case Study of the Acquisition of Credit Suisse by UBS in Key Global Financial Hub Media
On March 19, 2023, Swiss authorities engineered the emergency takeover of Credit Suisse by UBS for 3 billion Swiss francs, marking one of the most significant government interventions in banking since the 2008-2009 Global Financial Crisis. This research examines media framing of the emergency takeover, which operated within Switzerland's Too-Big-To-Fail (TBTF) framework.
The TBTF concept, which addresses institutions whose failure could destabilize entire financial systems, has generated considerable academic debate about how such interventions are communicated and legitimized to the public. Media coverage addressed persistent mismanagement at Credit Suisse, regulatory responses, implications for Swiss credibility, and questions about using taxpayer funds to rescue private institutions.
Existing research reveals conflicting findings about how media cover bank bailouts, some studies suggest interventions are presented as justified and unquestioned, while others identify critical discourse. This divergence, combined with substantial changes in economic conditions and media business models since the Global Financial Crisis, a period in which TBTF narratives were extensively examined, highlights the need for renewed analysis of contemporary TBTF framing patterns.
The study analyses coverage from nine outlets across the United States, England, and Switzerland, exploring how different markets and regions framed this historic merger. By investigating reporting patterns and potential regional biases, the research aims to illuminate how high-frequency financial journalism constructs narratives around government intervention in contemporary banking crises.