For Cornelius von Tiedemann, deputy editor-in-chief of Der Nordschleswiger, a German-language outlet in Denmark, the NewsSpectrum Fellowship meant an opportunity to meet the people leading newsrooms that have successfully transitioned to digital sustainability in Denmark and Sweden.
Looking for successful models for a deep transformation to digital, Cornelius carried out study visits at four majority-language media companies across Denmark and Sweden: Føljeton (Denmark) and VLT.se, Dagens Nyheter, and Fokus (Sweden).
- Dagens Nyheter is a daily newspaper published in Stockholm that aspires to full national and international coverage with 350,000 subscribers (print and digital).
- The regional newspaper vlt.se in Västerås, Sweden, part of the Bonnier publishing house, offered an example of how a regional and local newspaper can go fully digital.
- At the Swedish political magazine Fokus, currently undergoing digital transformation, Cornelius found a good example of digital transition at a relatively small media outlet.
- The newsletter medium Føljeton.dk served as a good model for further development of a product thinking and personal approach when designing newsletters and engaging with readers. Corenlius’s study visit to this newsroom focused on formatting content for mobile devices, newsletters, and building readers’ loyalty.