Lisbeth Knudsen calls for a new Enlightenment

Photo: private

Just a few short days after Constitution Day, which celebrates democracy, Knudsen, director, managing editor and chair of the board questioned the state of democracy, especially the interaction between politicians, the media and the public. She put forward this issue in her inaugural lecture at the Warehouse at CBS, where she is an adjunct professor at the Department of Business and Politics.

The underlying basis of her lecture was that democracy is fundamentally about trust. According to Knudsen, however, much of that trust has disappeared, for example, the conviction that politicians are able to make the right decisions, and the belief that the media assume the role of critical watchdog.

“Today’s title, ‘Democracy and powerlessness’, isn’t a call for celebration. There are an endless number of issues to think about and how we are going to approach them. There are colossal challenges that we have to deal with,” she proclaimed initially.

In addressing the issue as to whether democracy is in crisis Knudsen pointed out that its three main players – politicians, the media and the public – are in crisis. She then described various sure signs of this:

• Politicians fail to provide credible answers, and global challenges are growing as efforts are made to address them nationally.
• The relationship between the media and politicians is a bit too cosy, and politicians are opting out of professional media, i.e. national newspapers and TV stations, as their first communication step. Social media now has that role instead.

Knudsen also talked about some of the reasons for this crisis of trust.

“The financial crisis caused people to lose faith in the political system. This breach of trust was so monumental that it has never been regained,” she explained, continuing with a critique of the media.

The pressure to produce morning, noon and night means the media disproportionately focus on the process when politicians enter and exit negotiations, instead of paying attention to the underlying issues.

Knudsen proposed that a new Age of Enlightenment would be one way to solve the problem. Coming to the aid of listeners with a distant memory of what the Age of Enlightenment involved, Knudsen presented a definition, remarking for example that it was a period in European intellectual history generally characterised by an optimistic belief in human reason and a conviction that it was necessary to raise awareness of the entirety of human knowledge in order to liberate humankind from the shackles of custom and tradition.

About an hour into her inaugural lecture, Knudsen said, “I think I better leave you with something a bit more cheerful to think about,” adding, “More than ever before, we need public service media to help educate the public to navigate our highly complex society. And I’m not talking about being glued to a screen,” which resulted in scattered laughter and smiles in the auditorium.

“There has to be room for both X Factor and baking competitions. Not everything needs to be serious and cultured, but I’m a proponent of taking the responsibilities of democracy seriously and of developing a journalism that can engage people in a completely different way than is the case today.”
 
About Lisbeth Knudsen in brief
After graduating from the Danish School of Media and Journalism in 1975, Knudsen continued her education in management and board work, learning about associated tasks and responsibilities. She was the news director of the Danish Broadcasting Company and a member of its executive board, the CEO and group managing director of Berlingske Media, and the chief editor of the daily Berlingske Tidende. In 2015 she became the director and managing editor of Mandag Morgen. Equipped with board experience from a variety of companies, foundations and industry associations, Knudsen is, for instance, currently the chair of the board of the Royal Danish Theatre and on the board at the Danish School of Media and Journalism.