Jyllands-Posten
Encyclopedia
Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten (ˈmɒːˀn̩æˌʋiːˀsn̩ ˈjylænsˌpʌsdn̩; English
: The Morning Newspaper "The Jutland Post"), commonly shortened to Jyllands-Posten or JP, is a Danish
daily broadsheet
newspaper
. It is based in Viby
, a suburb of Århus, and with a weekday circulation of approximately 120,000 copies, it is among the largest-selling newspaper in Denmark. Its main competitors are the broadsheet Politiken
and compact
Berlingske Tidende
.
The foundation behind the newspaper, Jyllands-Postens Fond, defines it as an independent liberal
(centre-right
) newspaper. The paper officially supported the Conservative People's Party
until 1938.
The newspaper was the subject of a major controversy
concerning cartoons that depicted the Islamic prophet Muhammad
.
Jyllandsposten quickly became one of Jutland
's most modern newspapers and secured an exclusive access to government telegraph wires between 21:00 and midnight every day. This enabled Jyllandsposten to publish news one day earlier than most of its competitors. Gradually the paper expanded, enlarging its format and adding more and more pages. The first issues had only contained four pages. In 1889 it abandoned the traditional Gothic
script in favour of the Latin script used today. Gothic script had been abolished by the Danish spelling reform of 1875, but was still in wide use.
Politically the paper supported the Højre
("Right") party – which became the Conservative People's Party
in 1915. The paper advocated business interests and strongly opposed socialism
. It was also critical of business monopolies.
In international affairs, it was generally supportive of Britain and critical of Germany, which it considered the only country that "wished to attack Denmark," to quote an 1872 edition. This nationalist sentiment was a reaction to Germany's annexation of large portions of southern Jutland following the Second War of Schleswig
in 1864. Editorially the newspaper supported the Danish minority in Germany
and advocated for a new border located at the Danevirke
. Throughout World War I
Jyllands-Posten continued its verbal attacks on Germany despite the government's policy of neutrality in the conflict. In 1918, the newspaper was outlawed in Germany.
. In 1931, the paper was acquired by a joint stock company whose main investor became editor-in-chief. In 1934 the newspaper began to use photographs in its layouts. Foreign news stories were supplied by Ritzau
, The Times, and the Daily Telegraph.
During the 1920s and 30s, the editorial line of the paper was right-wing Conservative. The paper expressed its sympathy for a number of conservative issues, most notably increasing the size of the Danish military, which had experienced a massive cut in funds by the Social Democratic government. Another issue was support of the Danish minority in Germany. The paper expressed its admiration for the authoritarian regimes of Italy and Germany on several occasions, a line assumed by many European newspapers.
In 1922, the newspaper expressed its admiration for Benito Mussolini
, who had just assumed office: The very strong man, that Mussolini undoubtedly is, is exactly what the misruled Italian people need. In 1933, the newspaper advocated that Denmark follow Germany's example and replace petty party politics with the stability of an authoritarian regime. The paper considered the German Weimar republic to be a failure because of its lack of stability, and was sympathetic to Adolf Hitler
s coming to power and the shutting down of democratic institutions. In march 1933, the paper wrote: Only dry tears will be cried at the grave of the Weimar Republic ... As odd as it may sound, the only 12-year-old German constitution with its one-chamber-system, its low electoral age - 20 years - and proportional representation is already antiquated. The editorial of May 17, 1933, stated that ...democratic rule by the people, as we know it, is a luxury which can be afforded in good times when the economy is favorable. But restoring the economy after many years of lavish spending requires a firm hand...
On November 15, 1938, the editorial commented on the Kristallnacht
with the words: "When one has studied the Jewish question in Europe for decades, the animosity towards the Jews is to a certain extent understandable, even if we look past the racial theories, that mean so much in the national socialist world view [...] We know, that tens of thousands of Jews condemn the Jewish business sharks, the Jewish pornography speculators and the Jewish terrorists
. But still, it can not be denied, that the experiences which the Germans - as many other continental peoples - have had with regards to the Jews, form a certain basis for their persecution. One must give Germany, that they have a right to dispose of their Jews."
A front page story in 1938 was an open letter to Mussolini criticizing the persecution of Jews, written by Kaj Munk
, a prominent priest and playwright, who himself had though previously been sympathetic towards Mussolini and Hitler.
In 1939, the paper rebuked the Danish government for signing a German-Danish treaty of non-aggression.
In Jyllands-Posten's own history about themselves, on their website, only the story of Kaj Munks open letter to Mussolini, and the fact that the paper took distance to Germany by advocating against the Danish-German non-aggression treaty, is mentioned´- while nothing is mentioned of the sympathies towards Fascism and Nazism. The paper writes on its own history in the period: JP in this period turned itself firmly against the Soviet Union and world communism
, while still maintaining a distance towards Germany, especially with its demands for a strengthened Danish military, and its support for the Danish minority in Southern Schleswig
. In 1939 the paper, in opposition to the Copenhagen papers, went against the Danish-German non-aggression treaty.
, despite censorship and paper rationing. The number of copies rose from 24,000 to 46,000. The edition announcing the Liberation of Denmark sold 102,000 copies. A number of the paper's employees were involved in the Danish resistance movement
against the German
occupation of Denmark
. After the war, the paper continued to grow, and its ties and sympathy to business interests and industries grew stronger. The paper's nationalist-conservative line was replaced by a line supporting economic liberalism
.
In 1954, Jyllands-Posten became the first newspaper in Denmark to use colour photos in its layouts. In 1956, the paper implemented the Danish
spelling reform of 1948, although headlines were written in old style until 1965.
In 1959, First Secretary of the Communist Party Nikita Khrushchev
reportedly cancelled an official visit to Denmark, on the grounds that Jyllands-Posten had published a number of articles highly critical of the Soviet Union
. Jyllands-Postens editorial line remained staunchly anti-Communist.
Jyllands-Posten was affected by a series of strike
s in 1956 and between 1973 and 1977. In 1977, the paper left the Union of Danish Employers, following a three week long strike against the introduction of new labour-saving equipment. In 1971, the paper bought out the joint stock company controlling it, and it has since been owned by a foundation. In the 1980s, the newspaper gradually increased its number of foreign correspondents, until finally stationing more than 20 journalists around the world.
In 1982, Jyllands-Postens Sunday edition became the largest Sunday paper in Denmark. The paper established offices in Denmark's 10 largest cities. The 1990s was marked by a struggle with Berlingske Tidende
which was seeking to expand its circulation in Jutland. In response, Jyllands-Posten began issuing a special version of the paper in Copenhagen. In 1994, the weekly edition became the biggest daily morning-newspaper in Denmark with a circulation of 153,000. An internet edition was launched in January 1996, which is the most visited Danish internet news site. In 2001 a number of journalists left Jyllands-Posten and launched the free distribution daily MetroXpress in coorporation with a Swedish media company. In 2002-2003 Jyllands-Posten merged with the rival publisher of Politiken
and Ekstra Bladet
, although the three newspapers maintain their editorial independence.
Current members of the board of trustees include two notable Danish rightwing intellectuals David Gress
and history professor Bent Jensen
.
. JP/Politikens Hus is owned in equal parts by Jyllands-Posten Holding A/S and A/S Politiken Holding, the holding companies
of Jyllands-Posten and Politiken
, respectively; the sole shareholder
of Jyllands-Posten Holding is the private foundation Jyllands-Postens Fond. The foundation was established in 1971 with the intent of making the newspaper self-governing, and continues to exist to support the publishing and political and editorial independence
of Jyllands-Posten.
* ) Must and Viva are not published on a weekly basis, but rather 10 times a year each, always on Fridays.
and Fred Basset
(known as Freddie in Danish); the Danish comic Poeten og Lillemor was previously featured, but cancelled some time after the death of its creator, Jørgen Mogensen.
, while the Danish version of Computerworld
supplies much of the technology-related content. PDF
editions of the printed newspaper from the recent few years are available to subscribers. A separate portal for business news, Erhverv På Nettet (epn.dk), was launched in October 2006; the main website now refers to epn.dk for business news, and epn.dk back to Jyllands-Posten
In 2002 the Danish Council of the Press, criticised the newspaper for breaching its regulations on race while reporting on three Somalis charged with a crime. The relevant regulation was: "Any mention of family relations, occupation, race, nationality, faith or relationship to an organisation ought to be avoided, unless this has a direct relevance to the case,"
Jyllands-Posten published a story alleging asylum fraud by resident Palestinian refugees in Denmark. This contributed to the electoral success of Anders Fogh Rasmussen
on November 20, 2001, whose political party campaigned for reduced immigration. The story was found to be unsupported and resulted in the sacking of the editor-in-chief Ulrik Haagerup on December 12, 2001 (Politiken
, Berlingske Tidende
, Information
, B.T., December 13, 2001). However, Jyllands-Posten maintained that the dismissal of Haagerup had nothing to do with his responsibility for the articles in question (editorial on December 16, 2001). According to Weekendavisen
, a newspaper that pretty much shares the political line of Jyllands-Posten, the real reason for Haagerup's dismissal was a disagreement about the employment strategy (December 21, 2001).
The 2004 report on Denmark by the European Network Against Racism
(ENAR), an organisation of NGOs
funded partly by the European Commission
, concluded that the Danish media devoted an excessive proportion of their time to the problems posed by immigrants, and most often Islamic immigrants, while often ignoring the problems that these immigrants face. According to the ENAR report, out of 382 JP articles on immigrants, 212 were negative, a share similar to other Danish newspapers. The ENAR report holds newspapers such as Jyllands-Posten to blame for the rise of the anti-immigrant right-wing in Danish politics.
A journalist employed at Jyllands-Posten won a second prize in 2005 in an EU wide competition for journalists for diversity and against discrimination. The compilation of several articles "The Integration Paper" by Orla Borg was awarded the second prize.
and Muhammad
. The most notorious of these showed Muhammed with a bomb in his turban. This drew protests from Danish Muslims, followed in early 2006 by protests throughout the Muslim world
.
The newspaper has been accused of misusing freedom of speech
by Muslim groups and a number of non-Muslim Danes. The Muhammad cartoons controversy resulted in withdrawal of the ambassadors of Libya
, Saudi Arabia
and Syria
from Denmark, as well as consumer boycotts of Danish products in a number of Islamic countries.
The newspaper has apologised for offending Muslims, but maintains it has the right to print the cartoons, saying that Islamic fundamentalism
cannot dictate what Danish newspapers are allowed to print. The newspaper's two main offices have since been the subject of several bomb threats.
In April 2003, a different editor on the newspaper rejected a set of unsolicited Jesus
cartoons submitted by Christoffer Zieler. The Muhammed cartoons were solicited for a specific story, about self-censorship
springing out of fear of Muslim extremists, after the author of a children's book about Muhammed had to use an anonymous illustrator. Ahmed Akkari, spokesman for the Danish-based European Committee for Prophet Honouring, saw this as a double standard
. However Jyllands-Posten stated that they rejected the Jesus cartoons because they were poor quality.
In February 2008, following the arrest of three men who allegedly had conspired to kill one of the cartoonists, Jyllands-Posten and 16 other Danish newspapers republished the cartoon in question to "show their commitment to freedom of speech".
Five men were arrested in December 2010 - including a 37-year-old Swedish citizen of Tunisia
n origin living in Stockholm
, a 44-year-old Tunisian, a 29-year-old Lebanese
-born man, and a 26-year-old Iraqi
asylum
-seeker living in Copenhagen
-- for allegedly planning "to kill as many of the people present as possible" in the Jyllands-Posten Copenhagen newsdesk.
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
: The Morning Newspaper "The Jutland Post"), commonly shortened to Jyllands-Posten or JP, is a Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
daily broadsheet
Broadsheet
Broadsheet is the largest of the various newspaper formats and is characterized by long vertical pages . The term derives from types of popular prints usually just of a single sheet, sold on the streets and containing various types of material, from ballads to political satire. The first broadsheet...
newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
. It is based in Viby
Viby J
Viby is a district in the southwestern part of Aarhus with almost 30,000 inhabitants. The "J" stands for Jutland, as there is another town called Viby on the island of Zealand called Viby Sj. It is primarily a working class area, including many immigrants who also live in Viby J...
, a suburb of Århus, and with a weekday circulation of approximately 120,000 copies, it is among the largest-selling newspaper in Denmark. Its main competitors are the broadsheet Politiken
Politiken
Politiken is a Danish daily broadsheet newspaper, published by JP/Politikens Hus.The newspaper comes third among Danish newspapers in terms of both number of readers and circulated copies ....
and compact
Compact (newspaper)
A compact newspaper is a broadsheet-quality newspaper printed in a tabloid format, especially one in the United Kingdom. The term is used also for this size came into use in its current use when The Independent began producing a smaller format edition for London's commuters, designed to be easier...
Berlingske Tidende
Berlingske Tidende
Berlingske, previously known as Berlingske Tidende , is a Danish national daily newspaper based in Copenhagen...
.
The foundation behind the newspaper, Jyllands-Postens Fond, defines it as an independent liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
(centre-right
Centre-right
The centre-right or center-right is a political term commonly used to describe or denote individuals, political parties, or organizations whose views stretch from the centre to the right on the left-right spectrum, excluding far right stances. Centre-right can also describe a coalition of centrist...
) newspaper. The paper officially supported the Conservative People's Party
Conservative People's Party (Denmark)
The Conservative People's Party , also known as Conservatives is a Danish political party.-History:The party was founded 1915 based mostly on its predecessor, Højre , but also on the Free Conservatives and a moderate faction of Venstre , the liberals.The party has participated in several coalition...
until 1938.
The newspaper was the subject of a major controversy
Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy
The Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy began after 12 editorial cartoons, most of which depicted the Islamic prophet Muhammad, were published in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten on 30 September 2005...
concerning cartoons that depicted the Islamic prophet Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
.
History
The newspaper was founded in 1871 and issued its first copy on 2 October of that year. Originally, the name Jyllandsposten (in one word) was used, the hyphen being adopted in 1945. The current name was introduced in 1969. It also refers to itself as "Denmark's international newspaper".Jyllandsposten quickly became one of Jutland
Jutland
Jutland , historically also called Cimbria, is the name of the peninsula that juts out in Northern Europe toward the rest of Scandinavia, forming the mainland part of Denmark. It has the North Sea to its west, Kattegat and Skagerrak to its north, the Baltic Sea to its east, and the Danish–German...
's most modern newspapers and secured an exclusive access to government telegraph wires between 21:00 and midnight every day. This enabled Jyllandsposten to publish news one day earlier than most of its competitors. Gradually the paper expanded, enlarging its format and adding more and more pages. The first issues had only contained four pages. In 1889 it abandoned the traditional Gothic
Blackletter
Blackletter, also known as Gothic script, Gothic minuscule, or Textura, was a script used throughout Western Europe from approximately 1150 to well into the 17th century. It continued to be used for the German language until the 20th century. Fraktur is a notable script of this type, and sometimes...
script in favour of the Latin script used today. Gothic script had been abolished by the Danish spelling reform of 1875, but was still in wide use.
Politically the paper supported the Højre
Conservative People's Party (Denmark)
The Conservative People's Party , also known as Conservatives is a Danish political party.-History:The party was founded 1915 based mostly on its predecessor, Højre , but also on the Free Conservatives and a moderate faction of Venstre , the liberals.The party has participated in several coalition...
("Right") party – which became the Conservative People's Party
Conservative People's Party (Denmark)
The Conservative People's Party , also known as Conservatives is a Danish political party.-History:The party was founded 1915 based mostly on its predecessor, Højre , but also on the Free Conservatives and a moderate faction of Venstre , the liberals.The party has participated in several coalition...
in 1915. The paper advocated business interests and strongly opposed socialism
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
. It was also critical of business monopolies.
In international affairs, it was generally supportive of Britain and critical of Germany, which it considered the only country that "wished to attack Denmark," to quote an 1872 edition. This nationalist sentiment was a reaction to Germany's annexation of large portions of southern Jutland following the Second War of Schleswig
Second War of Schleswig
The Second Schleswig War was the second military conflict as a result of the Schleswig-Holstein Question. It began on 1 February 1864, when Prussian forces crossed the border into Schleswig.Denmark fought Prussia and Austria...
in 1864. Editorially the newspaper supported the Danish minority in Germany
Danish minority of Southern Schleswig
The Danish ethnic minority in Southern Schleswig, Germany, has existed by this name since 1920, when the Schleswig Plebiscite split German-ruled Schleswig into two parts: Northern Schleswig, with a Danish majority and a German minority was united with Denmark, while Southern Schleswig remained a...
and advocated for a new border located at the Danevirke
Danevirke
The Danevirke The Danevirke The Danevirke (modern Danish spelling: Dannevirke; in Old Norse Danavirki ; in German Danewerk ; is a system of Danish fortifications in Schleswig-Holstein (Northern Germany). This important linear defensive earthwork was constructed across the neck of the Cimbrian...
. Throughout World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
Jyllands-Posten continued its verbal attacks on Germany despite the government's policy of neutrality in the conflict. In 1918, the newspaper was outlawed in Germany.
1920s–30s
In 1929, the paper established an office in Copenhagen, and established a corporation with The TimesThe Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
. In 1931, the paper was acquired by a joint stock company whose main investor became editor-in-chief. In 1934 the newspaper began to use photographs in its layouts. Foreign news stories were supplied by Ritzau
Ritzau
Ritzaus Bureau I/S, or Ritzau for short, is a Danish news agency founded in 1866 by Erik Nicolai Ritzau. It is the largest independent Danish news agency, and also collaborates with three other Scandinavian news agencies to provide Nordic News, an English-language Scandinavian news service...
, The Times, and the Daily Telegraph.
During the 1920s and 30s, the editorial line of the paper was right-wing Conservative. The paper expressed its sympathy for a number of conservative issues, most notably increasing the size of the Danish military, which had experienced a massive cut in funds by the Social Democratic government. Another issue was support of the Danish minority in Germany. The paper expressed its admiration for the authoritarian regimes of Italy and Germany on several occasions, a line assumed by many European newspapers.
In 1922, the newspaper expressed its admiration for Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
, who had just assumed office: The very strong man, that Mussolini undoubtedly is, is exactly what the misruled Italian people need. In 1933, the newspaper advocated that Denmark follow Germany's example and replace petty party politics with the stability of an authoritarian regime. The paper considered the German Weimar republic to be a failure because of its lack of stability, and was sympathetic to Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
s coming to power and the shutting down of democratic institutions. In march 1933, the paper wrote: Only dry tears will be cried at the grave of the Weimar Republic ... As odd as it may sound, the only 12-year-old German constitution with its one-chamber-system, its low electoral age - 20 years - and proportional representation is already antiquated. The editorial of May 17, 1933, stated that ...democratic rule by the people, as we know it, is a luxury which can be afforded in good times when the economy is favorable. But restoring the economy after many years of lavish spending requires a firm hand...
On November 15, 1938, the editorial commented on the Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht, also referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, and also Reichskristallnacht, Pogromnacht, and Novemberpogrome, was a pogrom or series of attacks against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and parts of Austria on 9–10 November 1938.Jewish homes were ransacked, as were shops, towns and...
with the words: "When one has studied the Jewish question in Europe for decades, the animosity towards the Jews is to a certain extent understandable, even if we look past the racial theories, that mean so much in the national socialist world view [...] We know, that tens of thousands of Jews condemn the Jewish business sharks, the Jewish pornography speculators and the Jewish terrorists
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
. But still, it can not be denied, that the experiences which the Germans - as many other continental peoples - have had with regards to the Jews, form a certain basis for their persecution. One must give Germany, that they have a right to dispose of their Jews."
A front page story in 1938 was an open letter to Mussolini criticizing the persecution of Jews, written by Kaj Munk
Kaj Munk
Kaj Harald Leininger Munk was a Danish playwright and Lutheran pastor, known for his cultural engagement and his martyrdom during the Occupation of Denmark of World War II...
, a prominent priest and playwright, who himself had though previously been sympathetic towards Mussolini and Hitler.
In 1939, the paper rebuked the Danish government for signing a German-Danish treaty of non-aggression.
In Jyllands-Posten's own history about themselves, on their website, only the story of Kaj Munks open letter to Mussolini, and the fact that the paper took distance to Germany by advocating against the Danish-German non-aggression treaty, is mentioned´- while nothing is mentioned of the sympathies towards Fascism and Nazism. The paper writes on its own history in the period: JP in this period turned itself firmly against the Soviet Union and world communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
, while still maintaining a distance towards Germany, especially with its demands for a strengthened Danish military, and its support for the Danish minority in Southern Schleswig
Southern Schleswig
Southern Schleswig denotes the southern half of the former Duchy of Schleswig on the Jutland Peninsula. The geographical area today covers the thirty or forty northernmost kilometers of Germany up to the Flensburg Fjord, where it borders on Denmark...
. In 1939 the paper, in opposition to the Copenhagen papers, went against the Danish-German non-aggression treaty.
1940–present
Circulation almost doubled during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, despite censorship and paper rationing. The number of copies rose from 24,000 to 46,000. The edition announcing the Liberation of Denmark sold 102,000 copies. A number of the paper's employees were involved in the Danish resistance movement
Danish resistance movement
The Danish resistance movement was an underground insurgency movement to resist the German occupation of Denmark during World War II. Due to the unusually lenient terms given to Danish people by the Nazi occupation authority, the movement was slower to develop effective tactics on a wide scale...
against the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
occupation of Denmark
Occupation of Denmark
Nazi Germany's occupation of Denmark began with Operation Weserübung on 9 April 1940, and lasted until German forces withdrew at the end of World War II following their surrender to the Allies on 5 May 1945. Contrary to the situation in other countries under German occupation, most Danish...
. After the war, the paper continued to grow, and its ties and sympathy to business interests and industries grew stronger. The paper's nationalist-conservative line was replaced by a line supporting economic liberalism
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
.
In 1954, Jyllands-Posten became the first newspaper in Denmark to use colour photos in its layouts. In 1956, the paper implemented the Danish
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
spelling reform of 1948, although headlines were written in old style until 1965.
In 1959, First Secretary of the Communist Party Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev led the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War. He served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964, and as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, or Premier, from 1958 to 1964...
reportedly cancelled an official visit to Denmark, on the grounds that Jyllands-Posten had published a number of articles highly critical of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. Jyllands-Postens editorial line remained staunchly anti-Communist.
Jyllands-Posten was affected by a series of strike
Strike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
s in 1956 and between 1973 and 1977. In 1977, the paper left the Union of Danish Employers, following a three week long strike against the introduction of new labour-saving equipment. In 1971, the paper bought out the joint stock company controlling it, and it has since been owned by a foundation. In the 1980s, the newspaper gradually increased its number of foreign correspondents, until finally stationing more than 20 journalists around the world.
In 1982, Jyllands-Postens Sunday edition became the largest Sunday paper in Denmark. The paper established offices in Denmark's 10 largest cities. The 1990s was marked by a struggle with Berlingske Tidende
Berlingske Tidende
Berlingske, previously known as Berlingske Tidende , is a Danish national daily newspaper based in Copenhagen...
which was seeking to expand its circulation in Jutland. In response, Jyllands-Posten began issuing a special version of the paper in Copenhagen. In 1994, the weekly edition became the biggest daily morning-newspaper in Denmark with a circulation of 153,000. An internet edition was launched in January 1996, which is the most visited Danish internet news site. In 2001 a number of journalists left Jyllands-Posten and launched the free distribution daily MetroXpress in coorporation with a Swedish media company. In 2002-2003 Jyllands-Posten merged with the rival publisher of Politiken
Politiken
Politiken is a Danish daily broadsheet newspaper, published by JP/Politikens Hus.The newspaper comes third among Danish newspapers in terms of both number of readers and circulated copies ....
and Ekstra Bladet
Ekstra Bladet
Ekstra Bladet is a Danish tabloid newspaper focusing on sensationalist stories. It gets a share of its income from sex ads. Since 1979 it has always had a partly or completely naked woman on page nine which is referred to as Side 9 Pigen , a Danish equivalent of the English Page Three girl...
, although the three newspapers maintain their editorial independence.
Current members of the board of trustees include two notable Danish rightwing intellectuals David Gress
David Gress
David Richard Gress , is a Danish-American historian, known for his 1998 survey From Plato to Nato on Western identity and grand narratives.-Life:...
and history professor Bent Jensen
Bent Jensen
Bent Jensen is a Danish former football player.-External links:* * *...
.
Ownership
Since January 1, 2003, Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten has been owned and published by JP/Politikens Hus A/SJP/Politikens Hus
JP/Politikens Hus A/S is a Danish media company. It was established on January 1, 2003 as a merger of the publishing companies of the major broadsheet newspapers Jyllands-Posten and Politiken as well as Politikens tabloid Ekstra Bladet...
. JP/Politikens Hus is owned in equal parts by Jyllands-Posten Holding A/S and A/S Politiken Holding, the holding companies
Holding company
A holding company is a company or firm that owns other companies' outstanding stock. It usually refers to a company which does not produce goods or services itself; rather, its purpose is to own shares of other companies. Holding companies allow the reduction of risk for the owners and can allow...
of Jyllands-Posten and Politiken
Politiken
Politiken is a Danish daily broadsheet newspaper, published by JP/Politikens Hus.The newspaper comes third among Danish newspapers in terms of both number of readers and circulated copies ....
, respectively; the sole shareholder
Shareholder
A shareholder or stockholder is an individual or institution that legally owns one or more shares of stock in a public or private corporation. Shareholders own the stock, but not the corporation itself ....
of Jyllands-Posten Holding is the private foundation Jyllands-Postens Fond. The foundation was established in 1971 with the intent of making the newspaper self-governing, and continues to exist to support the publishing and political and editorial independence
Editorial independence
Editorial independence is the freedom of editors to make decisions without interference from the owners of a publication. Editorial independence is tested, for instance, if a newspaper runs articles that may be unpopular with its advertising clientele....
of Jyllands-Posten.
Sections and features
On a daily basis, Jyllands-Posten has at least one section dedicated to business news in addition to its main news section. Other, specialised supplementary sections are published on a weekly basis. Starting on January 5, 2006, most of these supplements (not including business ones) have been printed in a tabloid format half the size of the broadsheet sections; these sections have a relatively colorful layout and are referred to as avismagasiner ("newspaper magazines").| Day | Sections | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Sport | Sports |
| Tuesday | International | International news and analysis |
| Wednesday | Forbrug | Consumer guides and reviews |
| Thursday | KulturWeekend | In-depth analysis of culture, often in relation to politics and international events (Jyllands-Posten's additional newspapers that viewed Mohammed cartoons) |
| Friday | Tour | Automotive |
| Must* | Men's magazine | |
| Viva* | Women's magazine | |
| Saturday | Explorer | Travelling and leisure |
| Sunday | Living | Furnishing, home and lifestyle |
Comic strips
Daily comic strips in Jyllands-Posten are ZiggyZiggy
Ziggy is a cartoon created by Tom Wilson, a former American Greetings executive.Ziggy is a small, bald, trouserless, barefoot, almost featureless character who seems to have no friends, hobbies, or romantic partner, just a menagerie of pets: Fuzz, a small white dog; Sid, a cat afraid of mice;...
and Fred Basset
Fred Basset
Fred Basset is a comic strip about a male basset hound. The cartoon was created by Scottish cartoonist Alex Graham and published first in the Daily Mail on July 8, 1963. It has since been syndicated around the world....
(known as Freddie in Danish); the Danish comic Poeten og Lillemor was previously featured, but cancelled some time after the death of its creator, Jørgen Mogensen.
Website
Since 1996, Jyllands-Posten has also operated a news website, Internetavisen Jyllands-Posten (www.jp.dk). The website features a section of English-language news, supplied by The Copenhagen PostThe Copenhagen Post
The Copenhagen Post is a weekly newspaper providing Danish news in English both nationally and internationally; it is the only English-language newspaper published in Denmark. Founded in November 1997 by San Shepherd, The Copenhagen Post has a weekly circulation of between 12,000 and 15,000...
, while the Danish version of Computerworld
Computerworld
Computerworld is an IT magazine that provides information for senior IT leaders. It is published in many countries around the world under the same or similar names. Its publisher is International Data Group. Computerworld serves the needs of IT management via print and online...
supplies much of the technology-related content. PDF
Portable Document Format
Portable Document Format is an open standard for document exchange. This file format, created by Adobe Systems in 1993, is used for representing documents in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems....
editions of the printed newspaper from the recent few years are available to subscribers. A separate portal for business news, Erhverv På Nettet (epn.dk), was launched in October 2006; the main website now refers to epn.dk for business news, and epn.dk back to Jyllands-Posten
Ekstra Bladet
Ekstra Bladet is a Danish tabloid newspaper focusing on sensationalist stories. It gets a share of its income from sex ads. Since 1979 it has always had a partly or completely naked woman on page nine which is referred to as Side 9 Pigen , a Danish equivalent of the English Page Three girl...
Immigration
Jyllands-Posten does not present a consistently pro- or anti-migrant stance relative to other Danish newspapers. However, it has been criticized as being anti-migrant after a few controversial incidents.In 2002 the Danish Council of the Press, criticised the newspaper for breaching its regulations on race while reporting on three Somalis charged with a crime. The relevant regulation was: "Any mention of family relations, occupation, race, nationality, faith or relationship to an organisation ought to be avoided, unless this has a direct relevance to the case,"
Jyllands-Posten published a story alleging asylum fraud by resident Palestinian refugees in Denmark. This contributed to the electoral success of Anders Fogh Rasmussen
Anders Fogh Rasmussen
Anders Fogh Rasmussen is a Danish politician, and the 12th and current Secretary General of NATO. Rasmussen served as Prime Minister of Denmark from 27 November 2001 to 5 April 2009....
on November 20, 2001, whose political party campaigned for reduced immigration. The story was found to be unsupported and resulted in the sacking of the editor-in-chief Ulrik Haagerup on December 12, 2001 (Politiken
Politiken
Politiken is a Danish daily broadsheet newspaper, published by JP/Politikens Hus.The newspaper comes third among Danish newspapers in terms of both number of readers and circulated copies ....
, Berlingske Tidende
Berlingske Tidende
Berlingske, previously known as Berlingske Tidende , is a Danish national daily newspaper based in Copenhagen...
, Information
Dagbladet Information
Information , full name: Dagbladet Information , is a Danish newspaper published Monday through Saturday.Originally established and edited by Børge Outze and published during the World War II by the Danish resistance movement. Information was illegal during the war as it was not regulated by the...
, B.T., December 13, 2001). However, Jyllands-Posten maintained that the dismissal of Haagerup had nothing to do with his responsibility for the articles in question (editorial on December 16, 2001). According to Weekendavisen
Weekendavisen
Weekendavisen is a Danish weekly broadsheet newspaper published on Fridays. Its circulation is approximately 60,000 copies, about ten per cent of which cover subscriptions outside Denmark. According to opinion polls, however, the actual number of readers is much higher...
, a newspaper that pretty much shares the political line of Jyllands-Posten, the real reason for Haagerup's dismissal was a disagreement about the employment strategy (December 21, 2001).
The 2004 report on Denmark by the European Network Against Racism
European Network Against Racism
The European Network Against Racism is a coalition of over 600 EU NGOs working to promote equality of treatment within the member states...
(ENAR), an organisation of NGOs
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
funded partly by the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
, concluded that the Danish media devoted an excessive proportion of their time to the problems posed by immigrants, and most often Islamic immigrants, while often ignoring the problems that these immigrants face. According to the ENAR report, out of 382 JP articles on immigrants, 212 were negative, a share similar to other Danish newspapers. The ENAR report holds newspapers such as Jyllands-Posten to blame for the rise of the anti-immigrant right-wing in Danish politics.
A journalist employed at Jyllands-Posten won a second prize in 2005 in an EU wide competition for journalists for diversity and against discrimination. The compilation of several articles "The Integration Paper" by Orla Borg was awarded the second prize.
Pro-Israel
On 5 January 2008, the newspaper published an editorial expressing the views of the newspaper where they give unreserved support for Israel’s war in Gaza. The newspaper starts by telling its readers they are happy that those in the international community who are important are not condemning the Israeli attacks on Gaza. The newspaper continues with saying that the war is not complicated at all and blames Hamas and Palestinians for the Israeli attacks. Newspaper also states that Israel should avoid killing civilians but continues “But war is war. Civilians have always died in wars.”Cartoons controversy
The paper gained international attention after its controversial publication in September 2005 of 12 cartoons depicting IslamIslam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
and Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
. The most notorious of these showed Muhammed with a bomb in his turban. This drew protests from Danish Muslims, followed in early 2006 by protests throughout the Muslim world
Muslim world
The term Muslim world has several meanings. In a religious sense, it refers to those who adhere to the teachings of Islam, referred to as Muslims. In a cultural sense, it refers to Islamic civilization, inclusive of non-Muslims living in that civilization...
.
The newspaper has been accused of misusing freedom of speech
Freedom of speech
Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without censorship. The term freedom of expression is sometimes used synonymously, but includes any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used...
by Muslim groups and a number of non-Muslim Danes. The Muhammad cartoons controversy resulted in withdrawal of the ambassadors of Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
and Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
from Denmark, as well as consumer boycotts of Danish products in a number of Islamic countries.
The newspaper has apologised for offending Muslims, but maintains it has the right to print the cartoons, saying that Islamic fundamentalism
Islamic fundamentalism
Islamic fundamentalism is a term used to describe religious ideologies seen as advocating a return to the "fundamentals" of Islam: the Quran and the Sunnah. Definitions of the term vary. According to Christine L...
cannot dictate what Danish newspapers are allowed to print. The newspaper's two main offices have since been the subject of several bomb threats.
In April 2003, a different editor on the newspaper rejected a set of unsolicited Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
cartoons submitted by Christoffer Zieler. The Muhammed cartoons were solicited for a specific story, about self-censorship
Self-censorship
Self-censorship is the act of censoring or classifying one's own work , out of fear of, or deference to, the sensibilities of others, without overt pressure from any specific party or institution of authority...
springing out of fear of Muslim extremists, after the author of a children's book about Muhammed had to use an anonymous illustrator. Ahmed Akkari, spokesman for the Danish-based European Committee for Prophet Honouring, saw this as a double standard
Double standard
A double standard is the unjust application of different sets of principles for similar situations. The concept implies that a single set of principles encompassing all situations is the desirable ideal. The term has been used in print since at least 1895...
. However Jyllands-Posten stated that they rejected the Jesus cartoons because they were poor quality.
In February 2008, following the arrest of three men who allegedly had conspired to kill one of the cartoonists, Jyllands-Posten and 16 other Danish newspapers republished the cartoon in question to "show their commitment to freedom of speech".
Five men were arrested in December 2010 - including a 37-year-old Swedish citizen of Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
n origin living in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, a 44-year-old Tunisian, a 29-year-old Lebanese
Lebanese people
The Lebanese people are a nation and ethnic group of Levantine people originating in what is today the country of Lebanon, including those who had inhabited Mount Lebanon prior to the creation of the modern Lebanese state....
-born man, and a 26-year-old Iraqi
Iraqi people
The Iraqi people or Mesopotamian people are natives or inhabitants of the country of Iraq, known since antiquity as Mesopotamia , with a large diaspora throughout the Arab World, Europe, the Americas, and...
asylum
Right of asylum
Right of asylum is an ancient juridical notion, under which a person persecuted for political opinions or religious beliefs in his or her own country may be protected by another sovereign authority, a foreign country, or church sanctuaries...
-seeker living in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
-- for allegedly planning "to kill as many of the people present as possible" in the Jyllands-Posten Copenhagen newsdesk.