Berlingske Opens News Agency

“Next year the Danish newspaper Berlingske will open a news agency which will become a competitor to the already existing Ritzau agency”, MediaWatch reports.

“Berlingske already held negotiations with the Newspaq agency but it didn’t work out. So, Berlingske decided to go on their own”, Lisbeth Knudsen says, who is the Editor-in-Chief of Berlingske, “We thought it could be a good idea to combine news from Newspaq with ours in those fields which we are especially strong at, i.e. domestic and foreign policy, and sports. However, they told us in Newspaq that they cannot do it”.

Berlingske stops cooperation with Ritzau, they will not be co-owners any longer. On 1 January 2012 Berlingske will open its own news agency. At the beginning Berlingske will be the only owner of the project, though the plan is to have other shareholders in future as well.

“By creating an alternative to the Ritzau agency we have made the first step. This will encourage diversity, which is good for the democracy’, Lisbet Knudsen says.

 

 

Original text, photo: DR.dk