 Jyllands-Posten (cover of 30 July 2011) | |
| Type | Dailynewspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Tabloid |
| Owner | Jyllands-Postens Fond |
| Publisher | JP/Politikens Hus A/S |
| Editor | Marchen Neel Gjertsen |
| Founded | 2 October 1871; 154 years ago (2 October 1871) |
| Political alignment | Liberal conservatism Conservative People's Party (until 1938)[1] |
| Language | Danish |
| Headquarters | Aarhus C,Denmark |
| Website | www |
| Part ofa series on |
| Conservatism in Denmark |
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Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten (Danish pronunciation:[ˈmɒˀn̩æˌviˀsn̩ˈjylænsˌpʰʌstn̩]ⓘ;English:The Morning Newspaper "The Jutland Post"), commonly shortened toJyllands-Posten orJP, is aDanish dailybroadsheetnewspaper. It is based inAarhus C,Jutland, and with a weekday circulation of approximately 120,000 copies.[2][3]
Thefoundation behind the newspaper, Jyllands-Postens Fond, defines it as an independent (centre-right) newspaper.[4] The paper officially supported theConservative People's Party until 1938.[1]
In 2005–06, the newspaper publishedcartoons that depicted the Islamic prophet Muhammad which sparked violent protests around the world, and led to several attempted terrorist plots against the newspaper or its employees.[5]
The newspaper was founded in 1871 and issued its first copy on 2 October of that year. Originally, the nameJyllandsposten (in one word) was used, the hyphen being adopted in 1945. The current name was introduced in 1969. It also refers to itself as "Denmark's joke newspaper".
Jyllandsposten quickly became one ofJutland's most modern newspapers and secured an exclusive access to governmenttelegraph wires between 21:00 and midnight every day. This enabledJyllandsposten to publish news one day earlier than most of its competitors. Gradually the paper expanded, enlarging its format and adding more and more pages. The first issues had only contained four pages. In 1889 it abandoned the traditionalGothic script in favour of theLatin script used today. Gothic script had been abolished by the Danish spelling reform of 1875, but was still in wide use.
Politically, the paper supported theHøjre ("Right") party – which became theConservative People's Party in 1915. The paper advocated business interests and strongly opposedsocialism. It was also critical of business monopolies.[6]
In international affairs, it was generally supportive of Britain and critical of Germany, which it considered the only country that "wished to attack Denmark," to quote an 1872 edition. This nationalist sentiment was a reaction to Germany's annexation of large portions of southern Jutland following theSecond War of Schleswig in 1864. Editorially the newspaper supported theDanish minority in Germany and advocated for a new border located at theDanevirke. ThroughoutWorld War IJyllands-Posten continued its verbal attacks on Germany despite the government's policy of neutrality in the conflict. In 1918, the newspaper was outlawed in Germany.[6]
In 1929, the paper established an office in Copenhagen, and established a corporation withThe Times. In 1931, the paper was acquired by a joint stock company whose main investor became editor-in-chief. In 1934 the newspaper began to use photographs in its layouts. Foreign news stories were supplied byRitzau,The Times, and theDaily Telegraph.
During the 1920s and 1930s, the editorial line of the paper was right-wing Conservative. The paper expressed its sympathy for a number of conservative issues, most notably increasing the size of the Danish military, which had experienced a massive cut in funds by the Social Democratic government. Another issue was support of the Danish minority in Germany. The paper expressed its admiration for the authoritarian regimes of Italy and Germany on several occasions, a line assumed by many European newspapers.
In 1922, the newspaper expressed its admiration forBenito Mussolini, who had just assumed office:The very strong man, that Mussolini undoubtedly is, is exactly what the misruled Italian people need.[7] In 1933, the newspaper advocated that Denmark follow Germany's example and replace petty party politics with the stability of an authoritarian regime. The paper considered the German Weimar republic to be a failure because of its lack of stability, and was sympathetic toAdolf Hitler's coming to power and the shutting down of democratic institutions. In March 1933, the paper wrote:Only dry tears will be cried at the grave of the Weimar Republic ... As odd as it may sound, the only 12-year-old German constitution with its one-chamber-system, its low electoral age—20 years—and proportional representation is already antiquated. The editorial of 17 May 1933, stated that... democratic rule by the people, as we know it, is a luxury which can be afforded in good times when the economy is favorable. But restoring the economy after many years of lavish spending requires a firm hand...[8]
On 15 November 1938, the editorial commented on theKristallnacht with the words:"When one has studied the Jewish question in Europe for decades, the animosity towards the Jews is to a certain extent understandable, even if we look past the racial theories, that mean so much in the national socialist world view [...] We know, that tens of thousands of Jews condemn the Jewish business sharks, the Jewish pornography speculators and theJewish terrorists. But still, it can not be denied, that the experiences which the Germans—as many other continental peoples—have had with regards to the Jews, form a certain basis for their persecution. One must give Germany, that they have a right to dispose of their Jews."[9]
A front-page story in 1938 was an open letter to Mussolini criticizing the persecution of Jews, written byKaj Munk, a prominent priest and playwright, who himself had though previously been sympathetic towards Mussolini and Hitler.[1] In 1939, the paper rebuked the Danish government for signing a German-Danish treaty of non-aggression.
InJyllands-Posten's own history of the paper, published on its website, the story of Kaj Munk's open letter to Mussolini and the paper's opposition to the Danish-German non-aggression treaty are mentioned, but not its sympathies towards Fascism and Nazism. The paper states:JP in this period turned itself firmly againstthe Soviet Union andworld communism, while still maintaining a distance towards Germany, especially with its demands for a strengthened Danish military, and its support for the Danish minority inSouthern Schleswig. In 1939 the paper, in opposition to the Copenhagen papers, went against the Danish-German non-aggression treaty.[10]
Circulation almost doubled duringWorld War II, despite censorship and paper rationing. The number of copies rose from 24,000 to 46,000.[11] The edition announcing the Liberation of Denmark sold 102,000 copies. A number of the paper's employees were involved in theDanish resistance movement against theGermanoccupation of Denmark.[11] After the war, the paper continued to grow, and its ties and sympathy to business interests and industries grew stronger. The paper's nationalist-conservative line was replaced by a line supporting economicliberalism.
In 1954,Jyllands-Posten became the first newspaper in Denmark to use colour photos in its layouts. In 1956, the paper implemented theDanish spelling reform of 1948, although headlines were written in old style until 1965.
In 1959, First Secretary of the Communist PartyNikita Khrushchev reportedly cancelled an official visit to Denmark, on the grounds thatJyllands-Posten had published a number of articles highly critical of theSoviet Union.[12]Jyllands-Posten's editorial line remained staunchly anti-Communist.
Jyllands-Posten was affected by a series ofstrikes in 1956 and between 1973 and 1977. In 1977, the paper left the Union of Danish Employers, following a three-week-long strike against the introduction of new labour-saving equipment. In 1971, the paper bought out the joint stock company controlling it, and it has since been owned by a foundation. In the 1980s, the newspaper gradually increased its number of foreign correspondents, until finally stationing more than 20 journalists around the world.
In 1982,Jyllands-Posten's Sunday edition became the largest Sunday paper in Denmark. The paper established offices in Denmark's 10 largest cities. The 1990s were marked by a struggle withBerlingske Tidende which was seeking to expand its circulation in Jutland.[13] In response,Jyllands-Posten began issuing a special version of the paper in Copenhagen. In 1994, the weekly edition became the biggest daily morning-newspaper in Denmark with a circulation of 153,000.[13] In the period of 1995-96, the daily had a circulation of 161,000 copies.[14] An internet edition was launched in January 1996 as the second Danish online media (afterIngeniøren),[15] and is the most visited Danish internet news site. In 2001 a number of journalists leftJyllands-Posten and launched the free distribution dailyMetroXpress in cooperation with a Swedish media company. In 2003,Jyllands-Posten merged with the rival publisher ofPolitiken andEkstra Bladet when the companies of the papers merged.[16] However, the three newspapers maintain their editorial independence.
Current members of theboard of trustees include two notable Danish rightwing intellectuals,David Gress and history professor Bent Jensen.
In 2012,Jyllands-Posten Foundation became a founding member of theEuropean Press Prize.[17]
Since 1 January 2003,Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten has been owned and published byJP/Politikens Hus A/S.[16] JP/Politikens Hus is owned in equal parts by Jyllands-Posten Holding A/S and A/S Politiken Holding, theholding companies ofJyllands-Posten andPolitiken respectively. The soleshareholder of Jyllands-Posten Holding is the private foundation Jyllands-Postens Fond. Established in 1971, the fund's mission is to support the political andeditorial independence ofJyllands-Posten.
On a daily basis,Jyllands-Posten has at least one section dedicated to business news in addition to its main news section. Other more specialised supplementary sections are published on a weekly basis. Starting on 5 January 2006, most of these supplements (not including business ones) have been printed in a tabloid format half the size of the broadsheet sections. They have a relatively colourful layout and are referred to asavismagasiner ("newspaper magazines").
| Day | Sections | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Sport | Sports |
| Tuesday | International | International news and analysis |
| Wednesday | Forbrug | Consumer guides and reviews |
| Thursday | KulturWeekend | In-depth analysis of culture, often in relation to politics and international events (Jyllands-Posten's additional newspapers that viewed Mohammed cartoons) |
| Friday | Tour | Automotive |
| Must* | Men's magazine | |
| Viva* | Women's magazine | |
| Saturday | Explorer | Travelling and leisure |
| Sunday | Living | Furnishing, home and lifestyle |
* Must and Viva are not published on a weekly basis, but rather 10 times a year each, always on Fridays.
Daily comic strips inJyllands-Posten areZiggy andFred Basset (known asFreddie in Danish); the Danish comicPoeten og Lillemor was previously featured, but cancelled some time after the death of its creator,Jørgen Mogensen.
Since 1996,Jyllands-Posten has also operated a news website,Internetavisen Jyllands-Posten (www.jp.dk). The website features a section of English-language news, supplied byThe Copenhagen Post, while the Danish version ofComputerworld supplies much of the technology-related content.[28]PDF editions of the printed newspaper from the recent few years are available to subscribers. A separate portal for business news,Erhverv På Nettet (epn.dkArchived 3 November 2006 at theWayback Machine), was launched in October 2006;[29] the main website now refers to epn.dk for business news, and epn.dk back toJyllands-Posten's main site (as well asEkstra Bladet's) for general news.
Jyllands-Posten does not present a consistently pro- or anti-migrant stance relative to other Danish newspapers. However, it has been criticized as being anti-migrant after a few controversial incidents.
In 2002, the Danish Council of the Press criticised the newspaper for breaching its regulations on race while reporting on three Somalis charged with a crime.[30] The relevant regulation was: "Any mention of family relations, occupation, race, nationality, faith or relationship to an organisation ought to be avoided, unless this has a direct relevance to the case,"
Jyllands-Posten published a story alleging asylum fraud by residentPalestinian refugees in Denmark. This contributed to the electoral success ofAnders Fogh Rasmussen on 20 November 2001, whose political party campaigned for reduced immigration. The story was found to be unsupported and resulted in the sacking of the editor-in-chief Ulrik Haagerup on 12 December 2001 (Politiken,Berlingske Tidende,Information,B.T., 13 December 2001). However,Jyllands-Posten maintained that the dismissal of Haagerup had nothing to do with his responsibility for the articles in question (editorial on 16 December 2001). According toWeekendavisen, a newspaper that pretty much shares the political line ofJyllands-Posten, the real reason for Haagerup's dismissal was a disagreement about the employment strategy (21 December 2001).
The 2004 report on Denmark by theEuropean Network Against Racism (ENAR), an organisation ofNGOs funded partly by theEuropean Commission, concluded that the Danish media devoted an excessive proportion of their time to the problems posed by immigrants, and most often Islamic immigrants, while often ignoring the problems that these immigrants face. According to the ENAR report, out of 382 JP articles on immigrants, 212 were negative, a share similar to other Danish newspapers. The ENAR report holds newspapers such asJyllands-Posten to blame for the rise of the anti-immigrant right-wing in Danish politics.[31]
A journalist employed atJyllands-Posten won a second prize in 2005 in an EU wide competition for journalists for diversity and against discrimination. The compilation of several articles "The Integration Paper" by Orla Borg was awarded the second prize.[32]
On 5 January 2008, the newspaper published an editorial expressing the views of the newspaper where they give unreserved support for Israel's war in Gaza. The newspaper starts by telling its readers they are happy that those in the international community who are important are not condemning the Israeli attacks on Gaza. The newspaper continues with saying that the war is not complicated at all and blames Hamas and Palestinians for the Israeli attacks. The newspaper also states that Israel should avoid killing civilians but continues "But war is war. Civilians have always died in wars."[33][34]
The paper gained international attention after its controversial publication in September 2005 of 12 cartoons depictingIslam andMuhammad; one of these showed Muhammad with a bomb in his turban. This drew protests from Muslims living in Denmark, followed in early 2006 by protests throughout theMuslim world.
The newspaper was accused of misusingfreedom of speech by Muslim groups and a number of ethnic Danish intellectuals. The Muhammad cartoons controversy resulted in the withdrawal of theLibyan,Saudi andSyrian ambassadors from Denmark, as well as consumer boycotts of Danish products in a number of Islamic countries.
The newspaper had apologised for offending Muslims, but maintained that it had the right to print the cartoons.
In April 2003, the same editor on the newspaper rejected a set of unsolicitedJesus cartoons submitted by Christoffer Zieler on the basis that they were offensive.[35] The Muhammed cartoons were explicitly solicited by the editor.Ahmed Akkari, spokesman for the Danish-based European Committee for Prophet Honouring, saw this as adouble standard.[35]
Maiduguri, Nigeria; Central Africa, On 18 February 2006, riots related to the Muhammad cartoons published by the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten left at least 15 people dead, and resulted in the destruction of approximately 12 churches. Soldiers and police quelled the riots, and the government temporarily imposed a curfew.[36]
In February 2008, following the arrest of three men who allegedly had conspired to kill one of the cartoonists, Jyllands-Posten and 16 other Danish newspapers republished the cartoon in question to "show their commitment to freedom of speech".[37]
A Pakistani-American terrorist,David Headley (born Daood Sayed Gilani), 48, andTahawwur Hussain Rana, 48, were charged by U.S. federal authorities in Chicago, in complaints unsealed on 27 October 2009, of plotting against the employees of the newspaper in Copenhagen.[38] Headley was accused of traveling to Denmark to scout the building of the Jyllands-Posten and a nearby synagogue, for a terrorist attack.[39]
A smallexplosion at Hotel Jørgensen in Copenhagen on 10 September 2010 was described by the police as an accident with a letter bomb that was meant to be sent toJyllands-Posten.[40]
In September 2010, a 37-year-old Iraqi Kurdarrested in Norway earlier that year and suspected of planning unspecified terrorist attacks confessed that one of his targets wasJyllands-Posten.[41]
Five men were arrested in December 2010 in the direct process of carrying out the attack. The arrest was due to the men being under tight surveillance, and covert investigation from the Swedish and Danish intelligence services in a successful cooperation. The arrested men including a 37-year-old Swedish citizen ofTunisian origin living inStockholm, a 44-year-old Tunisian, a 29-year-oldLebanese-born man, and a 26-year-oldIraqiasylum-seeker living inCopenhagen—for allegedly planning "to kill as many of the people present as possible" in theJyllands-Posten Copenhagen newsdesk.[42]
In January 2020, during theCOVID-19 pandemic in mainland China, the newspaper received international attention when it published a cartoon depicting theChinese flag with yellow virus-like figures instead of the usual yellow stars. Unlike the Muhammad cartoons, the illustration of the Chinese flag was not published in the satire section nor was it intended as a provocation, but was published along an article about the outbreak in China.[43][44]
The Chinese embassy in Denmark demanded an official apology from the newspaper.[45] DanishPrime MinisterMette Frederiksen refused to apologize on behalf of the Danish government, declaring that there isfreedom of speech in Denmark.[46] Other Danish newspapers, although some of them regarded the illustration as impolite, supportedJyllands-Posten, noting that Danish newspapers operate under Danish law, not based on intimidation from a non-democratic country, and also pointed out that few would have seen the illustration if not for the actions of the Chinese embassy.[44] The illustrator received numerous threats, and social media platforms were flooded by illustrations of theDanish flag that had been edited to included feces, texts likealle jeres familier døde ("all your families are dead") and similar mockery in what experts regarded as a coordinated action, much of it spread by newly started profiles that appeared to be automated.[47][48][49]
The attempt of forcingJyllands-Posten to apologize was similar to several earlier cases in Scandinavia where Chinese authorities had attempted to discredit the local media, especially ones that had focused on sensitive Chinese matters like theXinjiang internment camps and the imprisonment of book publisher and writerGui Minhai.[50] Around the same time as the publication of the drawing inJyllands-Posten, similar drawings were published independently in Belgium, the Netherlands and Mexico, but they were not met by the same response by the Chinese authorities.[51]
