#11 Democracy from the front: How the media breaks the tyranny of speed - with Amalie Kestler

At a time when more and more Danes are consciously avoiding news, we face a paradox: We've never needed the media more to separate the wheat from the chaff - and yet fewer and fewer people use the established media.

In the latest episode of KOMPAS' summer series Democracy from the front, Sigge Winther Nielsen and Amalie Kestler, editor-in-chief of Politiken, explore how the media can become co-creators of democracy.

What is the media's responsibility in a time of war, conflict and a flood of information that leaves many powerless?

Breaking burnout

According to the latest Reuters report, almost one in three Danes has become news avoidant. War, climate crisis and conflict dominate the headlines, leaving many with the feeling that the world is falling apart - and they can't do anything about it.

This is precisely where the media today must rethink their role, says Amalie Kestler:

"If we as media only write about conflicts and wars, people will eventually switch off in powerlessness. Of course, we need to write about reality, but we also need to help point to solutions. We need to get closer to the citizens and closer to the readers."

The paradox: The need for media - but also the flight from it

We live in a pluralistic media landscape where everyone can choose their own information bubble, but it also means that we are increasingly losing a shared public sphere. We are more informed than ever, but also more fragmented. We have more news - but fewer places to connect it.

So how can the media be the place where Danes find calm, reflection and coherence in the midst of chaos?

Amalie Kestler believes it's about changing tracks. From a culture of aggression to a culture of insight. From the stream of breaking news to slower, more thorough stories. According to her, the media should have a mantra: Fewer, but better stories.

"What we have to offer is a place where people can find peace, reflection, depth - while at the same time being a medium that is published every day," she says.

When journalism not only conveys, but connects

Media researcher Peter Bro points out that the media must rethink their form:

"For many years, we've gotten used to journalism being about information - you make news available and then people have to figure out the rest for themselves. But now we're starting to talk about communication. About relationship. "

It's not just about delivering facts, but about engaging Danes. It's about being present in their reality - and thus driving the democratic conversation.

Amalie Kestler emphasizes that journalism's benefit to society is not something abstract. If the media is not perceived as relevant, it will disappear.

In conflict with binge culture  

TikTok, Instagram Reels and general acceleration have created a dopamine addiction where we are constantly chasing the next quick fix. It challenges our ability to immerse ourselves - and the media feels it.

According to Amalie Kestler, political journalism has become trapped in the tyranny of pace, where conflicts and games steal the spotlight - while the consequences fade into the background:

"It's really important to follow the implementations - how does the political reality affect the citizens at the other end?"

Too often, journalism is about drama and agendas - and too rarely about what decisions actually mean for people's lives. But if media is to be a democratic force, it requires something different. According to Amalie Kestler, it starts with a fundamental journalistic question:

"What is this really about?"

Stories that keep us grounded in reality

If the media's ambition is not to create more powerlessness, they must be part of the solution. It takes courage to say no to superficial clickbait - and yes to stories that connect citizens with reality.

The needle of the compass points not towards more stories, but towards fewer deeper stories. Not towards more conflict, but towards more insight.

Listen in and learn how the media can reclaim its role as a democratic backbone - at a time when it's more important than ever.