The Jeremiad Over Journalism

2. In relation to economy, the second section will argue that the United States has actively
pursued an economic policy espousing deregulation on trade and telecommunications which
has affected Denmark from the late 1980s and forward. Yet, commercialization were often at
odds with the Danish politicians and journalists‘ aspirations of diversity in national media
channels. Direct media subsidies from the government thereby became a way to curtail
commercialization. The combination of public service television and the publicist ideals
among leading Danish newspapers served to counteract claims of American media
imperialism. Yet, there was a very real demand for knowledge about American journalistic
developments as well as a demand for American journalist products among Danish
journalists and the public they served.
3. Concerning technology the third section will argue that Danish journalists and technical
newspaper employees looked more to the United States for inspiration than any other
country. The inspiration gathered from the United States also led to an emphasis on Anglo-
American technology being utilized in Danish newsrooms.
3.1 Americanization and strategy
In terms of structural Americanization, Denmark immidiately after World War II was initially
considered under the British sphere of influence by the Americans, but as Denmark joined the
massive economic-aid Marshall Plan and later NATO between 1947 and 1949, the country became
part of the greater geo-political battle between the Soviet Union and the United States. The United
States had since 1945 held an unrivaled global position of power militarily and economically and
consequently the relationship that Denmark entered into with the United States after the end of
World War II was one exemplified by asymmetrical power. Despite knowledge that Denmark
would be abandoned in case of an attack of the Soviet Union on the NATO-countries, Danish
politicians, like Julius Bomholt from the Social Democrats, nevertheless felt that the nation had to
make a choice between east and west, as a Scandinavian defense agreement failed to materialize,
and the Danes somewhat reluctantly then chose to join the Atlantic Pact. 246 Hence, the relative
246 Villaume, Allieret Med Forbehold: Danmark, Nato Og Den Kolde Krig [Allied with Reservations: Denmark, Nato
and The Cold War]. Page 112-118. About Denmark not being defended in case of a Soviet attack see page 147-148.
Concerning Denmark consciously not living up to the goals set for NATO-countries, and thereby exerting the ―power of
the weak,‖ see page 354-357.
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