The Jeremiad Over Journalism

year.‖ Throughout the year, Krab-Johansen noted, he had been guided in his studies by an advisor
who was a ―former journalist from The New York Times.‖ 408
The experiences expressed by Rachlin, Haagerup and Krab-Johansen were echoed by Danish
journalists in the subsequent years. In 1997, Stine Carsten Nielsen finished a year at The American
University in Washington D.C. while also spending two days every week as an intern with TV 2‘s
USA correspondent Ulla Pors Nielsen, 409 Lars Terje-Lysemose spent six months as an intern at
Computer User in Minnesota, 410 and Iben De Neergaards experience at Columbia vastly improved
her journalistic toolkit, and added much ―new inspiration and knowledge – not only about
journalism, but also foreign policy, human rights and society.‖
―The lecturers at Columbia are in a class of their own. I was taught by the foreign editor of
The New York Times, former vice-president Al Gore (…) and have given an insight into the
408 Anders Krab-Johansen, "Stress Og Jag Fra Første Dag [Hustle and Bustle from Day One]," ed. Danmark-Amerika
Fondet (Copenhagen: Danmark-Amerika Fondet Annual Report, 1994). Page 16-18.
409 Stine Carsten Nielsen, "The Washington Semester Program," ed. Danmark-Amerika Fondet (Danmark-Amerika
Fondet Annual Report, 1997). Page 26. Nielsen like many other Danish journalists described her experience in the
United States as unique. ―The combination of an election year, a fantastic internship, where I had the opportunity to
participate in ‗real‘ journalistic work, meeting insiders in the political system and participating in the production of
news stories, editorials, commentaries and features about current events for my Professors critical gaze, has given an
experience I could not have had anywhere else.‖My translation. Original text reads, ‖Kombinationen af valgår, et
fantastisk praktiksted, hvor jeg fik mulighed for at deltage i ‘ægte‘ journalistisk arbejde, have møder med insidere i det
politiske system og deltage i løbende produktion af nyhedshistorier, ledere, kommentarer og features om aktuelle
begivenheder, har givet mig en oplevelse jeg ikke kunne få andre steder.‖
410 Lars-Terje Lysemose, "Trainee/Journalistpraktikant På Computeruser I Minneapolis [Trainee/Journalism Intern at
Computeruser in Minneapolis]," in Danmark-Amerika Fondet (Danmark-Amerika Fondet Annual Report, 1998). Page
19-21. Lysemose‘s evaluation of his six month stay at ComputerUser in Minnesota succinctly alludes to some cultural
differences between Danish and American newsrooms also noted by journalists like Døcker and Jack. ―My internship in
Minneapolis has not only sharpened my interest for the development of the technology- and information society‘s
development, but also for the social and cultural differences, which still reign at Uncle Sam‘s place. (…) The
experiences of having worked in the United States and now with a group of journalism students from USA, South
Africa and Eastern and Western Europe under the ‗Europe in the World Program‘ has taught me that the perception of
what is good journalism is basically the same all over, but the way journalism is practiced – the routines, the way one
quotes sources and the way one has to be aware of censorship or lawsuits is quite different.‖ My translation. Original
text reads, ―Mit praktikophold I Minneapolis har således ikke bare skærpet min interesse for teknologiens og
informationssamfundets udvikling, men også for de sociale og kulturelle forskelle der fortsat hersker ovre hos Uncle
Sam. (…) Erfaringerne fra at have arbejdet i USA og nu sammen med en gruppe journaliststuderende fra USA,
Sydafrika, og Øst- og Vesteuropa under ‘Europe in the World-programmet‘ har lært mig, at opfattelsen af hvad er er
god journalistik, dybest set er den samme overalt, men måden journalistik udøves på – rutinerne, måden man citerer
kilder på og måden man skal være opmærksom på risikoen for censur og sagsanlæg – er en ganske anden.‖
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