The Jeremiad Over Journalism

3. Structural Americanization
The two previous chapters briefly introduced the concept of structural Americanization, defined as
American influence on ―economic policies‖ as well as ―international politics and security.‖ 234 The
theory chapter also showed, that several scholars of Americanization point to commercialization as
a central driving force behind American influence at the structural level and Sørensen argued that
commercialization was closely connected to export of technology. Through structural decisions and
agreements between the Danish and American government departments, as well as knowledge
exchange between journalistic institutions, educational institutions and key individuals, features of
the American media environment is argued by the scholars above to impact the Danish media
institutions. These Danish journalistic institutions have in turn set the boundaries within which
journalists work and frame their news stories.
Hence, Americanization must be understood from a transmission, transnationalization and
appropriation perspective; the sender, the exchange and the receiver perspective. 235 As Table 2
showed, there are several levels to both the transmission and appropriation aspects of
Americanization. Following Sørensen‘s prescription of driving forces, the emphasis in the ensuing
analysis will be placed on the American governments attempt to influence, the knowledge exchange
going on between institutions (media as well as educational) and lastly the reception perspective as
expressed through the Danish Union of Journalists‘ periodical Journalisten where key individuals
are often identified. 236
At these levels, the literature review in the preceding chapter has identified the following driving
forces which will serve as the parameters for the subsequent analysis. At the structural level,
capitalism, 237 military power, 238 and technology, 239 are deemed of great importance. While on the
is ahead or behind in a specific political race or the where a politician is ascribed tactical motives behind certain actions
in the campaign.
234
Elteren, Americanism and Americanization: A Critical History of Domestic and Global Influence. Page 133.
235
Ibid. Page 184.
236
Sørensen, "Kulturmøder, Selvkolonisering Og Imperialisme Om USAmerikaniseringen Af Europa [Cultural
Encounters, Selfcolonialization and Imperialism About USAmericanization of Europe."
237
Ibid. Also see Schröter, Americanization of the European Economy: A Compact Survey of American Economic
Influence in Europe since the 1880's. As well as Holm, "American Influence on Danish TV Journalism." And
Christensen, ed. Amerikanisering Af Det Danske Kulturliv I Perioden 1945-58. [Americanization of the Danish Cultural
Life in the Period 1945-58].
238
Elteren, Americanism and Americanization: A Critical History of Domestic and Global Influence. See also Roland
Robertson, "Rethinking Americanization," in Global America? The Cultural Consequences of Globalization, ed. Ulrich
Beck, Natan Sznaider, and Rainer Winter (Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 2003).
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