The state of media freedom in the Nordic countries
On Friday 28 November 2025, Pressen became a powerful reminder that the Nordic conversation is alive and thriving. More than 300 participants gathered to explore how the conditions for media freedom shape our shared public sphere in a time of rapid change. The room held a rare blend of reflection, sharpness and genuine curiosity. It was an afternoon where concerns and visions — as well as music and elements of our shared cultural heritage — all found space.
Through contributions from researchers, editors, musicians, legal experts, actors and media leaders, the contours of a larger picture emerged. The discussions illuminated the structural shifts affecting our information environment, and the digital forces that draw the Nordic region closer together — while also challenging it. The perspectives varied, but they shared a recognition that the media’s role as part of democracy’s infrastructure requires renewed attention.
The day reminded us that a shared Nordic public sphere is not something given. It must be created — through culture, and through spaces where disagreement can unfold with integrity, and where national differences are not erased but understood as strengths. When voices from across the region meet, a wider horizon opens, a sense of community forms, and a perspective emerges that reaches beyond any single newsroom or region.
Our warm thanks go to everyone who contributed, participated, listened and engaged, and to our partners for making the conversation possible. The Nordic community is not only an idea but a practice — one we at Nord 55° continue to cultivate. We remain committed to creating spaces where dialogue, curiosity and courage can grow, for the benefit of the entire region.
Fotos: Sissel Abel
Thank You for a Powerful Beginning
“We’re done with Nordic toasts. We want to create action. We want to create dialogue. We want to build a shared Nordic public sphere.” With those words, we opened the first summit under the banner of NORD55 – and we immediately felt that we are not alone.
Tuesday at JP/Politikens Hus became the setting for striking proof that the will and the ability to strengthen Nordic dialogue are very much alive. Through speeches, readings, conversations, and song—delivered by cultural and chief editors, actors, and business leaders from across the Nordic region—the room was filled with energy, reflection, and vision.
NORD55 was created to promote a new infrastructure for debate and exchange of ideas across our national borders – and the summit showed that this is not only necessary, but entirely possible.
Thank you to everyone who participated and contributed – and a special thanks to our media partners and the Nordic Culture Fund for making it all possible. This was just the beginning. We’ll meet again – fiercer, more engaged, and even more Nordic.
Photos: Niels Hougaard
We agree on the war – but do we also know what it is we are defending?
Christian Jensen, refers to the launch of NORD55’s summit on May 13 with a ‘bravo!’ And he references The Modern Breakthrough, the Scandinavian literary and cultural movement in the late 19th century, led by, among others, Georg Brandes, during which the Nordic public sphere truly flourished.
