The Danish media environment is characterised by a combination of strong domestic broadcasters and newspapers. Two state-owned broadcasters, one a licence-fee-funded public service broadcaster (DR), and the other a public service broadcaster funded by advertising sales and subscription fees (TV2), dominate broadcast news and have a wide reach via digital platforms.

A diverse national press has a strong position online while regional and local papers remain important in their respective markets but have more limited digital reach.

While traditional news brands generally remain stable and strong, metroxpress (the country’s only free daily) shows growth both in print and online editions as a result of investments in newsroom staffing, print circulation, and distribution, and online quality.

The search for more paid customers online remains a key theme for the quality Danish titles. Denmark’s oldest newspaper Berlingske changed ownership from the British Mecom group to the Belgian De Persgroep. Berlingske and commercially funded public service broadcaster TV2 have renewed their deal to exchange business news, strengthening their collaboration.

News video consumption has grown significantly in Denmark over the past year (+8 in our survey). Danish news agency, Ritzau, has boosted its supply of video content to the Danish media, while newspapers ramped up online video production. Smartphone and tablet use for news continues to soar, accompanied by increases for born-online pure players and for social media news.

Denmark runs a media subsidy scheme to support news companies that produce more than 50% public affairs content. In 2014 this scheme was extended from print to include online-only news.

The number of Danes who say they use social media as a gateway to news has more than doubled to 38%, directing them to a diversity of news sources they would not otherwise have accessed. This may be partly because news organisations have stepped up their presence, investing in new social media teams. Viral news discussions triggered by social media continue to be dominated by fun and weird news, but substantial political stories, for instance about privatisation of public utilities or immigration policy, also top social media charts.

KCS