A new national partnership has been launched to ensure that Danes are engaged and well-informed ahead of this autumn’s municipal and regional council elections — elections that are otherwise at risk of becoming the most poorly covered in living memory. Layoffs across numerous local and regional media outlets have reduced the number of journalists able to prepare citizens to make informed decisions by nearly 350 compared to the previous election in 2021. At the same time, the tone of public discourse discourages many Danes from engaging in local politics — let alone running as candidates.

Election researchers fear a further drop in voter turnout for the third consecutive election if no action is taken. So we are taking action: All Danish local and regional media, all three journalism schools, KL (Local Government Denmark), Danish Regions, Statistics Denmark, Epinion, Ritzau, researchers from the University of Southern Denmark and Aarhus University, along with major charitable foundations led by the VELUX FOUNDATION, are now joining forces with the Constructive Institute to ensure that Danes receive the best possible media coverage of the municipal and regional elections.

Minister for Culture Jakob Engel-Schmidt welcomes the initiative:

“It’s fantastic that so many strong forces have come together to strengthen local and regional media, enabling Danes to access robust news coverage leading up to the municipal and regional elections in November. Local and regional media play a key role in our democracy because they are close to our daily lives and hold local politicians to account. But it’s no secret that local media are under immense pressure — tech giants have captured ad revenues and the public’s attention, and there have been multiple rounds of layoffs in newsrooms recently. I hope ‘Your Choice. Our Denmark’ can help media find new ways to reach Danes. Their journalism is more important than ever in these unpredictable times, where tech giants allow fake news to thrive and artificial intelligence casts doubt on what is real”

Jakob Engell Schmidt, Minister of Culture

Ane Hendriksen, CEO of the VELUX FOUNDATION, the project’s main donor with DKK 6 million, says:

“The VELUX FOUNDATION works to improve people’s ability to act in a democratic society based on informed, inclusive, and sustainable foundations. ‘Your Choice. Our Denmark’ aligns with our mission by increasing knowledge and participation in the municipal election. This is a unique interdisciplinary collaboration that, with a knowledge-based and engaging approach, aims to ensure broader opportunities for dialogue before the municipal election. This project will contribute significantly with relevant insights in line with our mission. That’s why the VELUX FOUNDATION has supported it from the very beginning, focusing on ensuring the project’s realization. It’s encouraging to see so many other contributors joining now – a sign of shared understanding of the importance of supporting our democracy in a changing world. I look forward to following the results.”

The project was initiated by the Constructive Institute, an independent NGO based at Aarhus University since 2017, which supports news media in helping democracy thrive.

“Journalism aimed at fostering knowledge, dialogue, and facts is under pressure — now also in Denmark. In a time when mistrust, polarization, and populism are spreading globally, we need to unite to support local democracy. It’s uplifting to see key stakeholders and responsible foundations, led by the VELUX FOUNDATION, join forces. By rethinking our approach, news media, candidates, and voters can break the toxic spiral affecting our local democracy,” says Ulrik Haagerup, CEO and Founder of the Constructive Institute.

Rie Odsbjerg Werner, CEO of TrygFonden, which has contributed more than DKK 4 million, says:

“At TrygFonden, we are pleased to support this major initiative working to protect and improve the democratic dialogue in the lead-up to the municipal and regional elections. For years, we have worked to foster public debate that is broad, open, and based on the best available knowledge. Strong local journalism plays a key role in that.”

Rie Odsbjerg Werner, CEO at TrygFonden

The ‘Your Choice. Our Denmark’ project includes a range of initiatives before, during, and after the municipal and regional elections on 18 November:

• In the largest public opinion survey in Danish history, 400,000 Danes will be asked by Epinion about their views, priorities, challenges, dreams, and expectations in every municipality and region. All responses will be made available to media and candidates.
• Around 400 journalism students from DMJX, SDU, and RUC will be stationed in 50 newsrooms across the country to strengthen local election coverage. This part of the project is supported by Tuborgfondet. 
• The Investigative Journalism Center will provide media outlets with releval research packages leading up to the election. 
• Statistics Denmark will supply local data packs with relevant facts for citizens, journalists, and candidates, helping ground debates in factual information.
• In eight nationwide workshops, journalists will receive inspiration on how to cover the election constructively, with input from Constructive Institute, Statistics Denmark, and local/regional politicians.
• All local and regional commercial media outlets — from KunMors and Lollands-Falsters Folketidende to Dagbladet Politiken — are already collaborating to develop and share innovative ideas to better engage and inform younger voter groups.
• All candidates will be invited to four major bootcamps designed to help them campaign without alienating voters. The events introduce the concept of constructive politics and include participants such as former mayors Jakob Bundsgaard and Lars Krarup (both part of the project’s steering group), Statistics Denmark, mediator Mikkel Gudsøe, polling institute Epinion, and local press representatives.
• In the weeks leading up to the election, 10 election festivals will be held around the country featuring constructive debates, live music, and entertainment to engage voters — including families with children.

The ‘Your Choice. Our Denmark’ initiative is made possible by donations from the VELUX FOUNDATION, TrygFonden, the Tuborg Foundation, the Salling Foundations, the Jyllands-Posten Foundation, KL, and Danish Regions. It is supported by the Danish Union of Journalists and Danish Media, in collaboration with Statistics Denmark, Epinion, professors Morten Skovsgaard and Claes de Vreese from the University of Southern Denmark, and Professor Michael Bang Petersen from Aarhus University.

Alex Nielsen, Editor-in-Chief and CEO of Mediehusene Midtjylland and one of the initiators of Your Choice. Our Denmark, is proud of the project:

“Local democracy cannot be taken for granted. Local media — essential to binding our communities together — are under immense pressure, not least because many of the ads that once funded local journalism have now gone to American tech giants. With this ambitious democracy project, we have a chance to showcase the power of local journalism when we stand together and work toward the same goal: benefiting citizens.”

Esben Seerup has been appointed project director of ‘Your Choice. Our Denmark’. He brings experience as news editor at Fyens Stiftstidende and 12 years as CEO and Editor-in-Chief of TV2 Fyn, one of the first media outlets in the world to adopt constructive journalism as an editorial strategy. The station won the People’s Journalism Award following the 2021 municipal elections. He has spent the past 10 months as a fellow at the Constructive Institute.

Contact the project partners:

 

• Ane Hendriksen, CEO, VELUX FONDEN: +45 40 60 39 38
• Rie Odsbjerg Werner, CEO, TrygFonden: +45 45 26 08 30
• Alex Nielsen, CEO, Mediehusene Midtjylland: +45 40 32 83 33
• Ulrik Haagerup, CEO & Founder, Constructive Institute: +45 60 13 86 00
• Esben Seerup, Project Director, Constructive Institute: +45 24 79 50 90