The first generation of free newspapers operated on the foundation of taking content from television, adapting and rewriting it on paper and supplementing it with wire stories. These papers, according to Trads, were “hugely successful in America as well as Europe”.

The editorial managers of the Nyhedavisen – literally meaning “the news newspaper” – believe that the second and third generation free dailies can equal the success of earlier similar newspapers.  These publishers and editors are in fact convinced that they can accomplish their objective of becoming the biggest and best newspaper in Denmark. The immediate goal of Nyhedavisen is to get to 1 million readers receiving their news from 100 reporters.

The global trend of newspaper reading in Denmark and elsewhere indicates that people are spending less time with newspapers, and increasingly choose to get their news on the Web. 

This is the case with local, Sunday and morning Danish papers.  “Circulation is going down, down, down”, says Trads.  This is confirmed by a decline of 25% of the three biggest Danish newspapers.

The surprising fact is that free newspapers, on the other hand, are growing.

Trads admitted that this endeavor cannot be likened to a 100-metre sprint, but rather a marathon asking for endurance, smartness and good luck.

So what should a newspaper be like in an ideal world?

It should be free. it should be available in the morning before people go online. It should recognize that readers are interested in other people.  It needs to provide entertainment, but should also be serious and not trivial. It is also vital that stories are written in easy and accessible language.  The newspaper should be no less than 22 pages and not more than 26. 

Differently put, one third of the content should focus on the world of power – which includes topics like politics, war, foreign affairs and corruption.  The second third should focus on fascinating topics; the peculiar and the bizarre.  The last third comprises stories, where people want to read about themselves, their relationships and their own people.

Trads argued that a free, quality newspaper has to succeed, even in the view of all the changing trends in the world of newspapers.  The newspaper is not dead by a near margin.  “People will always, as in the past, want to read the newspaper together with their morning coffee”.