The Jeremiad Over Journalism

discussed the journalistic role in articles and news segments. The question was to which extent the
reporter should be part of the story he or she was reporting. Up until the 1960‘s Danish journalists
more often than not did not have a personalized byline when they wrote their articles, but the
introduction of TV, according to a writer in Journalisten, started a trend towards the personalized,
as journalists could not hide when they were in front of the camera. The developments in TV also
had repercussions in the world of print journalism, according to journalist Morten Haslund.
―By the end of the sixties there were journalists who rebelled like young people did (…) The
American Cronkite and the Englishman Frost were presented as ideals for a new TV-
journalism with a punch. And when the American magazine-writers dropped the pseudo-
objectivity and introduced New Journalism, the idea was consumed wholeheartedly here at
home.‖ 442
The article was meant as a foundation for a debate about credibility in journalism and Smistrup,
introduced as ―one of those who have introduced ‗New Journalism in Denmark,‖ was used as an
expert source on the issue and argued that ―the development has pushed the boundaries of the
objectivity myth.‖
A concrete expression of New Journalism‘s appropriation into the journalistic profession in
Denmark was described in the pages of Journalisten in 1983. During this year Jesper Klit published
the first book in Danish about New Journalism, which according to Jørgensen was modeled on
Wolfe‘s American description of New Journalism. 443 Journalisten printed a review of it where
political commentator.‖.‖My translation. Original text reads, ―Københavns Bogforlag præsenterer det journalistiske one
man show Hunter S. Thompson for et dansk publikum med bogen ‘Reporter i en malstrøm‘ (…) Steffen Larsen,
Aktuelt: ‘Hunter S. Thompson er opfinder af en helt ny form for journalistik (…) Jesper Klit, Den ny Demokraten:
‘Hunter S. Thompson er et sprogligt vulkanudbrud.‘ (…) Lasse Ellegaard (i bogens forord): ‘Hunter S. Thompson er på
amnge måder selv et typisk eksempel på den amerikansek drøm han er den mest talentfuldt indædte og vittigste
hudfletter af.‖
442 Morten Haslund, "Den Anonyme Journalistik Fortrængt Af Sanselighed [The Anonymous Journalism Displaced by
Sensousness]," Journalisten, October 1982. Page 12-14. My translation. Original text reads, ―I slutningen af tresserne
var der journalister, der gjorde oprør, ligesom ungdommen gjorde det (…) Amerikaneren Cronkite og englænderen
Frost blev fremholdt som idealer for en ny TV-journalistik med punch i. Og da amerikanske bladskrivere kastede
pseudoobjektiviteten af sig og introducerede New Journalism, blev ideen ædt med hud og hår herhjemme.‖
443 Jørgensen, Journalistik Med Stil: Fra Klassiske Nyheder Til Fortælling [Journalism with Style - From Classical
News to Narrative].
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