AAAARRRRGH!

I am usually always struck by a mild degree of depression when I come back to Copenhagen after spending time in New York. Usually it helps to stretch out in the couch and read today’s newspaper and slowly get back into the local rhythm.

This was, however, a very bad idea today.

I don’t really know whether I am in a state of chock, despair or outright frustrated rage, but after reading an article in Politiken I just realized that the traditional Danish media or at least the editorial board of Berlingske Tidende seems to have understood nothing and learned nothing of the last five years development on the Internet. What seems to be common sense and ordinary street knowledge for media and advertising people in New York is apparently exotic, dangerous, and threatening lore to the established Danish Media industry.

I am quoting from the paper (which ironically proves my point) version of Politiken:

“Der er grund til at være agtpågivende over for en så stor spiller på markedet som Google. Vi ønsker, at vores egne hjemmesider, ikke Google, skal være indgangen til nyhedsbilledet”, siger Lisbeth Knudsen, koncernchef for Berlingske media.

And Ebbe Dal from Danske Dagblades forening:

Det er udmærket, at Google har nogle motiver om, at de vil udbrede information. Men det bortforklarer ikke, at Google er et af verdens største brands og er udpræget forretningsmæssigt anlagt. Hvis de vil benytte danske avisers stof, så er der tale om en forretningsmæssig handling, og så er der et økonomisk mellemværende mellem Google og aviserne

I could start to argue about the importance of deportalization, co-creating, syndication, transparency, conversation and openness, but I would rather encourage people to read my 11 previous blog posts from the Web 2.0 Expo conference in New York. They somehow perfectly sum up what is wrong with the above two quotes.