New Media Trends

Lisbeth Knudsen, editor-in-chief at Berlingske Tidende, one of the three big old traditional Danish newspapers, today announced a new strategy “The new Berlingske Tidende” (in this premium content article in Danish from Borsen.dk). The strategy follows her taking office some two month ago, and has, according to herself, “earthquake” like dimensions.

All journalists online
The radical new step is a plan to make all journalists employed at Berlingske Tidende bi-medial, writing for both the web and the print edition, with the web as the first place of publication, and as the place where stories are supposed to be followed up during the day - and presumably also night.

Web is taking the lead
In other words: One of the worlds oldest newspapers, started in 1749, is shifting it’s main publication focus away from the paper and to the internet. The printed edition will still be there, offering background, analysis and especially readworthy material.

Resembles move of Politiken
The move in many ways resembles the move made by one of the other three big old Danish newspapers, Politiken, a year ago from now. They redesigned the printed version and moved the entire newsdesk online in their web-first approach (I did a piece on this one too: Danish media revolution: New high-quality print and web-media to give news away this autumn). But according to Lisbeth Knudsen, the Berlingske move is more wholehartedly: not only the newsdesk but all journalists are going online.

Reshaping journalism?
This is a very interesting exercise: How to reshape a journalistic culture, introducing new online parameters of success to each and every employee? How to take the  virtues of the more oldschool journalists with a traditional print focus, and get those to blossom in an online-focused publishing house? How to have all journalists being online-journalists while at the same time maintaining a print edition which at it’s own terms and conditions are outstanding, giving unique reading experiences, background and analysis?

The right answers to questions like these will be contributions to a whole new understanding of journalism. Who knows: Perhaps they will be the start of a new journalistic era, the vague contours of which we are only now witnessing the emegence of.