For way too long journalists have focused on negative news, turning away from the public interest, says Ulrik Haagerup, founder and director of the Constructive Institute, who proposes to renew a bond of trust through a new approach.
Ulrik Haagerup is a Danish journalist, former editor-in-chief and news director at Danmarks Radio (DR, public broadcasting). He graduated in journalism from the Danish School of Journalism in 1986 and was hired that same year as an investigative journalist at Jyllands-Posten. Four years later he received the Cavling Prize for his investigation into the over-indebtedness of Danish mortgage banks. On his return from Stanford Business School (1991-1992), he took over as editor-in-chief of Jyllands-Posten until 2001, then a year later of Nordjyske Medier until 2007, before heading the editorial staff of DR for ten years.
In 2017, he left his position to found the Constructive Institute at the University of Aarhus (DK), which proposes to work towards strengthening democracy through a change in media culture that is too focused on conflict and extremes. Ulrik Haagerup’s book “Constructive News” (2012) has been published in Danish, English and German.