The Jeremiad Over Journalism

Denmark, it was primarily an offspring of developments within the Anglo-American media
environment. 303
The Danish fascination with American technology only increased after 1969. In May of 1974, the
Danish Union of Journalists organized a study trip to the United States with the explicit purpose of
―giving the participants an insight into the new technology.‖ With a slight sense of awe discernable,
the article‘s author described the plans to visit the Associated Press, an organization that had,
―completed an automation of its news- and information service,‖ but AP was also far along in
regards to other aspects of technology also.
―The news agency offers selective subscriptions of material and the selection is run by data-
machines. At its editorial office in New York AP has installed 40 monitors. The journalists
write directly onto the screens.‖ 304
The plan also took Danish journalists to Time Incorporated, where tele-typesetting would be
demonstrated, to the New York Typographical Union, which was described as ―strongly involved in
accords regarding implementation of technology,‖ as well as to the American Newspapers
Publishers Associations Research Institute (ANPA/RI) to get acquainted with ―future research and
production methods.‖ 305 In evaluating the trip six months later, Henrik Døcker, described the United
States as a place where,
―[S]peed is truly something required in modern news coverage. USA is known to be not only
one, but several steps ahead of Europe in terms of data processing, so it comes as no surprise
303 "Nycop Om Pressen Til År 2000, En Udvikling I Tre Trin Med Data, Satelitter Og Video [Nycop About the Press
Untill 2000, a Development in Three Steps with Data, Satellites and Video]." Page 5. The article draws on influence
from Sweden, the United States as well as Germany, and a fact box towards the end of the article let the reader know
that the Danish Dagbladet had dispensed with the American-invented telex, and instead acquired a British Muirfax to
transfer manuscripts, while Information‘s photo typesetters were fully run by computers. The Anglo-American
technological dominance in the 1960s and 1970s played a prominent part in articles about the United States in
Journalisten during these years.
304 Journalisten, "Studietur Til Usas Nye Presseteknik [Study Tour to the United States' New Press Technology],"
Journalisten, May 1974. My translation. Original text reads, ―Mandag den 14. oktober er der besøg på The Associated
Press, som har gennemført en automatisering af sin nyheds- og informationstjeneste. Bureauet tilbyder selektive
abonnementer af stof og udvælgelsen styres af datamaskiner. På sin redaktion i New York har AP installeret 40
billedskærms-terminaler. Journalisterne skriver direkte ind på skærmene.‖
305 Ibid.
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