Although Danish journalism is largely protected by the country’s institutions and respected by society, it is challenged when it comes to accessing public information and fighting sexism in newsrooms.
Media landscape
Despite being a country of only 5.8 million inhabitants, Denmark has 8 national newspapers (Politiken, Berlingske, Morgenavisen Jyllands Posten, etc.), 5 national radio channels, 2 public television stations and 8 regional television channels. The recent years have seen a rise of online-only outlets, such as Altinget and Zetland. Media in general enjoy a high brand loyalty, while the Danish audience has a particular preference for the public media — Denmarks Radio and TV2 — which has been further strengthened among young people during the Covid crisis. The Danish public has a high level of distrust in social networks, but also in the local media.
Political context
Politicians and institutions are respectful of press freedom overall. In late 2021, police and defense intelligence agencies undertook what was an extraordinary attempt to intimidate journalists and threaten the secrecy of their sources, while referring to legal clauses related to high treason, although they are never applied during times of peace.
Legal framework
While it provides a solid foundation for the protection of press freedom and journalists, the legislative framework has not evolved recently. The Freedom of Information Law, which was adopted in 2014 and allows institutions to withhold public information, continues to be criticized by the media as an obstacle to the right to inform. Amendments to the law that seek to facilitate access to public documents are pending. Although appointed by the government, the media regulator represents the various points of view from different media experts.
Economic context
The subsidy system provides most of the funding to the public broadcasters, the rest being allocated to privately-owned media. The money is distributed by public institutions according to a principle of independence. Due to the country’s size, it is still possible to get government funds to support small printed media and specialised magazines. But like elsewhere in the world, tech giants like Google and Facebook take away an important market share in advertisement which undermines the business model of the Danish private media.
Sociocultural context
In general, journalists enjoy a high level of acceptance in society. However, the sometimes heated public debate on immigration has resulted in a certain scepticism towards the media and occasional hostility in some areas of the big cities.
Safety
Due to the controversy around sexism in Danish newsrooms, initiatives to improve the work culture have been implemented by major outlets. The subject came into the limelight after a documentary exposed sexist practices at the television channel TV2, prompting the media to take measures to better protect women journalists, change the newsroom culture and implement a new code of conduct. On the whole, Danish journalists work freely and are not subject to any significant threats.
