Denmark’s communist-aligned newspaper Arbejderen received DKK 1,349,337 in public media subsidies in 2023 to serve just 2,215 digital subscribers. That works out to roughly 609 kroner per subscriber per year, in addition to what readers actually pay.
The figures appear in the Mediestøtteregister 2023, published by Slots- og Kulturstyrelsen, the Danish Agency for Culture and Palaces. They reveal something notable about how Denmark funds its media. Arbejderen, founded in 1921 and online-only since 2019, receives operating support under a system designed to be politically neutral.
The Subsidy Numbers
According to Slots- og Kulturstyrelsen’s Mediestøtteregister, Arbejderen qualified for DKK 1,349,337 in operating support in 2023, up 26 percent from DKK 1,070,790 in 2022. Its subscriber base grew just 3.3 percent over the same period. The outlet reported subscription income of DKK 913,260, meaning public subsidies were around 48 percent higher than its subscription income that year.
For context, the left-wing daily Information received around DKK 16 to 17 million in operating support in 2023, according to the same register. Both receive operating support under the same, politically neutral media support law. The law does not distinguish between outlets based on political orientation. Eligibility depends on content type and formal criteria.
The Rules That Keep It Alive
Denmark’s media support law, established under lov nr. 1604 af 26/12/2013 om mediestøtte and subsequently amended to strengthen requirements on subscription income and editorial production, is platform-neutral regarding technology and politically neutral regarding orientation. Among other criteria, outlets must document editorial independence, substantial self-produced news and debate, and at least DKK 400,000 in annual subscription income to qualify for the main operating support category.
Arbejderen’s reported subscription income of DKK 913,260 clearly exceeds that threshold. Under the law, at least 50 percent of an outlet’s editorial content must consist of self-produced news, current affairs, and societal debate, as specified in mediestøtteloven §6(2). To receive support, Arbejderen must document compliance with that requirement.
Who Gets Left Out
Media researchers and officials have noted that subscription-income and production requirements can be difficult for newer digital outlets, including those targeting international audiences, to meet. The law requires a Danish-based editorial organisation and that the outlet primarily covers news and societal debate relevant to Denmark. It does not mandate Danish-language content, but there is no dedicated stream of support for foreign-language news.
According to Council of Europe data, Denmark is among the European countries with relatively high per-capita direct subsidies to private news media. Yet English-language expat outlets rarely appear in the media support registry. According to a 2022 evaluation by the Ministry of Immigration and Integration, around 22 percent of residents with non-Danish origin report difficulties following Danish news due to language barriers. Eurostat’s 2023 data show that 10.8 percent of Denmark’s population are foreign-born.
The Legacy of Party Press
Arbejderen is one of the last remnants of Denmark’s once-thriving party press. In the early and mid-20th century, nearly every major party had its own newspaper. Most disappeared or merged. The communist daily, first published as Arbejderbladet on 20 May 1921, has survived long after most other party newspapers disappeared.
Historically financed by party and union structures, it now receives support under a general media framework that focuses on editorial content rather than party affiliation. The 2013 law aimed to create content-based, technologically neutral support rather than linking grants to party connections.
What Expats Can Do
Non-citizens can submit consultation responses when media support rules are revised, through the official portal at hoeringsportal.dk. They can contact Slots- og Kulturstyrelsen to ask how support is allocated or how to start a qualifying outlet. They can even apply for media support themselves if they meet the criteria, though guidance documents are in Danish and the subscription-income threshold remains significant.
Expats can contact Slots- og Kulturstyrelsen for guidance on starting a media outlet that qualifies for support. Arbejderen’s masthead lists email contacts for its editorial sections, and readers can contact the newsroom directly.
The Bigger Question
According to the Danish Agency for Culture and Palaces, media support aims to ensure a diverse supply of news media and support democracy. Some experts and commentators, including in Folketinget hearings on media support reform, have raised concerns that subsidies favour established brands and can make it harder for new actors to gain ground.
For internationals, the result is a media ecosystem shaped by decades-old structures. Arbejderen remains eligible because it documents sufficient subscription income and editorial production under current rules, even after ceasing print. The outlets that serve the labour and international community in Denmark largely operate without comparable support. The same framework that backs activist-covering niche outlets and protest-focused journalism has not been adapted to reach the growing share of residents who follow climate and social justice news primarily in English.
