The media is naturally overflowing with small and large analyses of the new government, just as (very) small and large rumors from Marienborg became political stories during the 70 days we waited for a government. Every newsroom has been on the other end ever since the new government seemed to become a reality. And that is understandable, because our politicians hold the ultimate responsibility for how we manage our society. The population has a right to know what their votes actually become.

But although the center of power tends to attract attention from both journalists and everyone else, this is not where we should look for the seeds of great social change. If we look back at the great democratic movements of the last 100 years, such as the cooperative movement, the labor movement and the women's movement, they have one thing in common: they started with people who stood up and demanded a greater influence on the society they are a part of. That we now have a government that will promote more gentle agriculture and ensure consideration for animal welfare came in the wake of long-standing debate and revelations about drinking water contaminated with nitrates and pesticides and cases of pig farmers violating the Animal Welfare Act, supported by campaigns from green organizations.

The new government foundation contains important words and intentions and is thus an important step on the path towards the transformation of society we are facing. The climate and biodiversity crisis calls for completely new ways of being human in the world if we are to live in balance with the ecosystems we have spent the last many years trying to throw out of balance. But in order to move there, we need to be able to see that future for ourselves, and the media is not doing enough to fulfill that task.

Danes want ambitious climate action

Scientists have been saying this for years, and it was recently cemented in an analysis of Danes' climate attitudes by the Danish Climate Council. The majority of Danes are concerned about the climate crisis – and want to move the country and political decisions in a fairer and greener direction. In the analysis, the Danish Climate Council makes a number of recommendations for politicians – but several of the recommendations are at least as relevant to the country's media.

Media Denmark has a heavy hand in the public conversation – whether they want to be aware of it or not. So when the Climate Council writes a recommendation to politicians that they should become better at communicating unifying stories about the future that also contain hope and community, it is not just the politicians' task. That task also lies with those with the biggest mouthpieces and the most skilled storytellers – the country's media. Not as a replacement for power-critical and investigative journalism (of course), but as a supplement.

People who have their hands in the dirt

There are plenty of stories to tell, but they require turning your gaze away from the center of power. In recent years, we have seen a mobilization of people who insist on taking part in the transformation of our landscapes and societies. Imagine if more journalists – including in the major national media – prioritized efforts on those stories, followed developments and looked more closely at the legal and bureaucratic obstacles that stand in the way. In many places in the country, people are coming together, getting involved and testing new forms of ownership, cooperation and access to nature and land.

Take, for example, the association Forest Grove, where citizens experiment with buying agricultural land and converting it into a forest with high biodiversity. In Holbæk, the project helps to secure part of the citizens' drinking water, as the land that was once sprayed is located next to a drinking water well. The people behind Skovgro spend their free time familiarizing themselves with the rules surrounding drinking water and agricultural land with a burning desire to be part of the conversion of areas that is needed to take care of our nature, environment and health.

Or take a trip to the village of Skårup on Funen, which together with Svendborg Municipality, a landowner and a utility company have built a energy community on their feet. Here they produce and share renewable energy, which is supplied by nearby wind turbines, solar cells on the roof of the Culture and Sports Center and electric charging stations. For the citizens of the project, it makes sense to be co-owners and involved in energy production, rather than just being spectators of the larger energy parks that land in the local area.

A transformation that unites rather than divides

Whether Danes are engaged in transformation within energy, nature restoration or agriculture, we need to hear more about their efforts. First and foremost, their experiences can inspire others to start other projects in their own areas. But the stories also show new ways of creating change, which can push the transformation that must happen in interaction and with the involvement of the local population. In the big picture, it can also be the seed to solve one of the significant challenges that politicians at Christiansborg, but also in the EU, are facing, namely to transform society in a way that unites rather than divides and creates polarization. Another recommendation from the Climate Council’s latest analysis is precisely that there must be much more involvement – ​​citizens must be included in the engine room.

We have spent the last few years investigating how to create climate journalism that creates hope and action. Together with sustainability psychologist Simon Elsborg Nygaard, we have taken our knowledge of journalism and his knowledge of sustainability psychology and mixed it well. The result can be found in a number of practical recommendations that we have just published. And perhaps the most important point is precisely that we need stories about people who take social change into their own hands. Because research in psychology shows that our behavior is not changed through information about the state of affairs alone. In fact, to a very small extent. On the contrary, it is changed through our social networks. Through our actions. Once we take a step in a more sustainable direction, our attitude towards climate and transition changes.

That's why we need stories about the enormous power of change that lies in the communities that are already growing throughout the country. We need stories about collective change in local communities, about people who are pulling their workplaces, handball clubs, housing and property owners' associations and the whole of society in a green direction. People and communities like the new government should do their utmost to support. We need to see many more of those stories.

Because it must be one of the most noble tasks as a journalist to ensure a nuanced, informed conversation about the societal transformation we are facing, as Connie Hedegaard also writes in the foreword to the publication:

Politicians must provide goals, frameworks and ensure that it is worthwhile to act for the common long-term good. But for elected officials to be able to undertake this difficult task, acceptance is required from the people they represent. Creating the foundation for an informed population has always been the media's most important task. It was also when we were faced with the corona pandemic. It was and is when it comes to Ukraine and the security situation in the world. And climate is no exception. Therefore, in this 21st century, it must be a completely natural task for the media to contribute to informing about solutions and actions, to create climate communication that can motivate action.

This article was written by Sofie Hviid from Klimajournalisterne and Helene Chéret from the Green Transition Denmark, and it was published in Jyllands-Posten on June 17, 2026.

Photo: Skovgro