Nordic Freelance Seminar 2025

09.00-10.00: REGISTRATION, COFFEE AND CROISSANTS

10.00-10.15: WELCOME

10.15-11.15: MARTIN BREUM

Greenland has never before been as central to news coverage as it is today. Greenland has become a symbol worldwide of Donald Trump’s unusual approach to power and international cooperation. The president of the superpower insists that the USA will take over Greenland – possibly with military means – despite the fact that, according to international law, Greenland is part of the Danish Kingdom and that Greenlanders are a people in their own right with an independent culture, language, history, and geography. The conflict raises new demands for journalism: How should Danish and Greenlandic journalists manage objectivity? How can impartiality be ensured? What do we do when a president is clearly speaking against better knowledge?

Freelance journalist and author Martin Breum was awarded the Danish Journalists' Union’s Carsten Nielsen Grant this year for his many years of journalistic coverage of Greenland and the Arctic.

11.15-11.30: BREAK

11.25-12.15: PETER ERNSTVED RASMUSSEN - How to dig out agenda setting defence stories  

Here you get input as to how you make better stories about defence matters in a time when the Danish defence has officially declared a more restrictive press policy. Ernstved Rasmussen has publicized a considerable number of stories about scandals and conflicts in his netmedia olfi.dk – often based on anonymous sources. How do you build up a source network in this sector? How do you handle the contact with persons who run a great risk in case their identites are revealed? Which open sources are the most valuable? And does Ernstved Rasmussen see possibilities in crossboarder journalism?

Peter Ernstved Rasmussen is a Danish journalist, founder and editor of the defence net media olfi.dk which has existed since 2016. He is a reserve officer, and was in the Danish Forces which from 2003 were part of the American led invasion of Iraq – Operation Iraqi Freedom.

12.30-13-30: LUNCH

13.30-14.30: THEA PEDERSEN - Working in a conflict-zone 

In this talk Thea Pedersen will share some of her personal accounts, insights and professional reflections obtained from her thorough and significant experience working as a correspondent, journalist and photographer, in e.g. Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen and Ukraine. The talk will center around key topics and elements of war/disaster reporting touching upon the diversity of sources in hostile and/or culturally different environments, ethics and rules of the warzone, security and gender related issues as well as navigating on multiple platforms.  

Thea Pedersen is a Danish freelance journalist, non-fiction writer and photographer with a primary focus on war- and conflict areas and human-interest stories. She has worked as a staff correspondent in the US, and since 2017 as an independent correspondent based in Iraq with work published in multiple Danish and International outlets such as Deutsche Welle, Le Temps and American Newsweek. Since 2022 she has covered the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and recently published the photobook ‘Fragments - a photographic witness account from Ukraine’. Her talk will focus on personal insights and reflections and key elements of her conflict reporting being a multi-media journalist and operating as a ‘one-woman band’.

14.30-14.45: BREAK

14.45-15.45: AMALIE KLITGAARD - WHY SHOULD WE TELL STORIES FROM A COUNTRY WHEN THE WAR IS "OVER"?

15.45.16.00: BREAK

16.00-17.00: INGEBORG TOPSØE - UMA Films, about the Danish TV series Secrets We Keep (Reservatet)

17.00-19.00: BREAK - Two hours to relax before dinner

19.00-21.00: DINNER

21.00-23.00. The evening program is being developed — and will include Nordic sing-alongs

Photo: Helle-Vibeke Riisgaard

09.00-10.00: COFFEE AND/ OR

09.00-10.00: MORNING WALK 

Participants can enjoy a historical morning walk with Monica C. Madsen.

10.00-11.00: MIHAI ZAHUI - AI tools not only transform but also simplify our work

Mihai Zahui focusses his talk on AI-tools that make life easier and better for journalists and communicators. The tools that he uses himself and how these tools have improved his working life and his journalistic productions. He will present different AI-tools with a close focus on the journalistic and communicative everyday life. 

Mihai Zahiu – Master’s degree in Marketing and Bachelor’s in Journalism, Advertising & Public Relations. Mihai Zahiu is a digitalization and innovation expert with deep roots in both marketing and journalism. With great insight, Mihai demonstrates how you can use artificial intelligence as a creative sparring partner.

11.00-11.15: BREAK

11.15-12.15: CHRISTIAN MADE HAGELSKJÆR - AI in my business

Independent AI advisor Christian Made Hagelskjær shares lessons from the challenge, he set himself: On leaving his job as an editor, he wanted to brand himself as the go-to guy in AI integration in media and communication. What’s been tough? What came easily? Where does he find his clients and what problems does he solve for them? What is the next goal? And crucially: Which AI tools actually delivered along the way?

Christian helps organizations cut through the noise and create real value with AI and digital tools. With a background as AI Editor at Det Nordjyske Mediehus and years of experience in digital communication and visual storytelling, he brings a grounded, practical approach to innovation. Christian believes that skilled people with strong values can drive meaningful change — and that AI should serve that mission, not distract from it.

12.30-13.30: LUNCH

13.30-14.30: MARIANNE SKOVLUND CHRISTENSEN - Get EU journalism into your freelance business 

Are you interested in writing more about all the things which take place and are decided upon in the European Union but find it difficult to get started? Marianne Skovlund shares her experiences with finding and conveying stories about the decisions which are made in Brussels. You also get some input as to how you can integrate the EU substance matter into your production, and how you can use the votes in the European Parliament as a starting point.

Marianne Skovlund Christensen is a Danish journalist and partner in ’EU-bureauet’ in Copenhagen. Before that she was for several years an EU journalist at Danmarks Radio (DR) – the Danish national broadcast corporation -

14.30-14.45: BREAK

14.45-15.45: RASMUS NØRLEM SØRENSEN - How do I get EU funding for my project?

The European Union distributes billions of euro for various purposes through a large number of diverse funds. How can you apply for EU funding for your projects as a freelance journalist? Get an overview of the possibilities and the preconditions for applying for EU funding. We will look into four areas: 1) The Erasmus+ programme with focus on education and public information, 2) The Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme focusing on fundamental rights, and 3) Creative Europe which supports art and culture in a very broad manner. We will, however, 4) also make an important detour to some shortcuts to EU funding.

Rasmus Nørlem Sørensen is a Danish freelance journalist, EU expert and organizational consultant. He is also working chairman of RIKO – The Council for International Conflict Resolution and vice chairman of the Council for Human Rights. Nørlem Sørensen has fundraised several large projects with EU funding. 

15.45-16.45: KRISTINA R. JOHNSEN - Facing the sea - portrait of the European coast

Yderst Europa (YE) is an interdisciplinary journalistic project supported by Creative Europe, with partners in Norway, Belgium and France. YE explores our contemporary relationship with the ocean and Europe’s transactions with the sea. The nordic expression yderst is similar to the Breton languages’ Penn-ar-bed - meaning the end of the land. YE advocates space in the media for geographically compromised areas, native voices, coastal areas and communities. The European Commission has granted YE €200,000, stating in their evaluation that it has ‘the potential to recalibrate the European conversation on sustainability’. The project innovates with book production, on-stage performances, animations, article series and photography.
 

Kristina R. Johnsen (Vesterålen, Norway) is the project creator and leader of Yderst Europe. In her work, Johnsen is dedicated to highlighting arctic realities and perspectives, often drawing inspiration from her upbringing in an arctic fishing community with proximity to raw nature. As a writer she has contributed to various publications nationally and internationally. She was awarded 'Freelancer of the Year' in Norway 2025.

16.45-17.00: WRAP-UP AND GOODBYE - THANK YOU FOR THIS YEAR!

17.00-18.00: The farewell bar is open for an hour — come join us for a last drink!