The Jeremiad Over Journalism
The Jeremiad Over Journalism
The Jeremiad Over Journalism
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debate.<br />
―<strong>The</strong> media subsidy should be able to contribute to a multifarious, versatile, high quality<br />
supply, to all citizens in Denmark. of knowledge and culture dissemination along with<br />
significant societal information and debate of importance for a democratic society.‖ 294<br />
Consequently, the Danish state‘s media subsidies is seen as helping Danish media institutions<br />
finance the production of original news stories which furthers general education in Denmark as well<br />
as provide a structural framework for media content that is focused on the longer perspective for the<br />
common good as opposed to catering to individual short-term tastes. 295<br />
Judging from the increase in culture and debate material, it seems that the Danish governments<br />
direct and indirect media subsidies have helped support a wide range of original news stories in<br />
both print and electronic media. Though Lund and Sepstrup‘s report predict greater commercial<br />
influence on the print media if the structure of the subsidies is not changed, Postman‘s gloomy<br />
predictions concerning television and the subsequent influence on print media seem not to have<br />
come true in terms of media diversity, news stories and culture. Yet the question remains whether or<br />
not recent developments in Danish journalism has been accompanied by an increased focus on form<br />
instead of substance in political reporting? This will be adressed in the content analysis conducted<br />
in chapter 5.<br />
Based Sepstrup and Lund‘s findings it must be concluded that the direct Danish media subsidies,<br />
likely helped by increased professionalism of Danish journalists, have helped uphold normative<br />
ideals about journalism‘s democratic function, as opposed to giving way to a ―monetarization of<br />
decision-making and relationships‖ which according to Schröter characterizes commercialism.<br />
294 Kulturministeriet, "Kommissorium for Udvalget Om Den Fremtidige Mediestøtte [Mandate for the Committee on<br />
the Future Media Subsidy],"(2010), http://kum.dk/da/Nyheder-og-Presse/Pressemeddelelser/2010/November/Denfremtidige-offentlige-mediestotte-skal-undersoges/Kommissorium-for-Udvalget-om-den-fremtidige-offentligemediestotte/.<br />
Accessed November 27, 2010. My translation. Original text reads, ―Mediestøtten skal kunne bidrage til at<br />
sikre et mangfoldigt, alsidigt udbud af høj kvalitet til alle borgere i Danmark af formidling af viden og kultur samt<br />
væsentlig samfundsinformation og debat af betydning for et demokratisk samfund.‖<br />
295 Lund and Sepstrup, "Udredning Af Den Fremtidige Offentlige Mediestøtte [A Report on the Future of State Media<br />
Subsidies]." Page 18-19.<br />
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