“If it bleeds, it leads” is failing: Denmark’s Ulrik Haagerup at the National Press Club

Published Mediaweek

Audiences are avoiding the news, but ‘constructive journalism’ offers a real solution for Australian media publishers.

The news industry has a problem. Audiences are switching off, advertising models face relentless pressure, and public trust continues eroding to uncomfortable lows.

At the National Press Club in Canberra this week, a confronting diagnosis threatened to make traditional news directors squirm.

Ulrik Haagerup, founder and chief executive officer of Constructive Institute, took the podium to argue the media itself might be part of the problem. Haagerup, a former news director for the Danish public broadcaster DR, suggested the old industry adage of “if it bleeds, it leads” simply fails to work anymore.

I was fortunate to attend the address alongside Vanessa Lyons, chief executive officer of ThinkNewsBrands. And the message felt particularly resonant for our own backyard.

The local push for fact-checked news

This movement is already planting roots locally. Haagerup highlighted the launch of the Constructive Institute Asia Pacific at Monash University, which recently welcomed its first cohort of journalism fellows to rethink the future of storytelling.

For ThinkNewsBrands, the themes of Haagerup’s address snugly aligned with their ongoing fight. The mission to prove the value of premium news environments to advertisers and the general public.

“Ulrik Haagerup’s National Press Club address reinforced something we strongly advocate for at ThinkNewsBrands, that journalism brings communities together and strengthens democracy,” Lyons said following the event.

Lyons noted the distinct difference between verified reporting and the noise of social feeds.

“Everyone can tell stories on their own platforms. Journalism is different, it’s fact checked, source verified, and trusted,” she said. “At a time of misinformation, AI-generated content, and algorithmic amplification, reinforcing trust in news and journalism has never been more important. We’re excited to see the Constructive Institute expand in our region through the Asia Pacific Hub and the Constructive Journalism Fellowship.”