Denmark's high Internet penetration rate is a key factor in the media consumption trends of the Danes. In 2020, 99 percent of the population aged 12 and above had access to the internet at home.
Denmark: Digitally strong
These user behaviour patterns have led to major changes in the way media outlets provide their content: the tabloid B.T., for example, discontinued its print version in January 2023 and is now only available as a free online edition. A number of newspapers have changed hands in recent years. The Jysk Fynske Medier group acquired the weekly newspapers that belonged to North Media and Helsingør Dagblad in April 2020, and the media group Sjællandske Medier took over 13 local newspapers from the JP/Politikens Hus group in the capital region in January 2020.
Denmark's German-language daily Der Nordschleswiger has gone completely digital, and since 2 February 2021 publishes all its content on a freely accessible web portal. A fortnightly print newspaper which is generated from its web content and distributed for free is becoming increasingly popular.
Aid programmes for media companies
Financial support for print and digital media is regulated in the Media Support Act (Lov om mediestøtte) and includes subsidies for production and innovation. The purpose of this Act is to promote a wide range and diversity of news sources and social and cultural content, with a view to strengthening Danish democracy and democratic debate. Since 2019, internet-based news outlets have been exempt from paying VAT, a regulation which had previously applied to print newspapers.
Journalists and politicians still use Twitter, but the platform is not frequently cited as a source. There is no serious political blog landscape in Denmark.
In the broadcasting sector, a number of smaller local private radio stations have established themselves, in addition to the four large public and two private stations that broadcast nationwide. Outlets that broadcast all their content via the Internet don't even need a licence from Denmark's Radio and Television Board.
World Press Freedom Index (Reporters Without Borders): Rank 3 (2023)
Last updated: January 2023
