“You’re my best friend
you shared my crazy ways,
Now we don’t want to miss out
on the best part of the day”

– Elton John & Leon Russel (1)

Editorial, SNDS Magazine no. 4, 2016
Read the full magazine below – or download as PDF

Are you ready for a big one? This issue of SNDS Magazine is the biggest ever: 40 pages packed with great stuff – from news about your organization and inspirational stuff for you to use in your daily life as a professional media worker. These are our basic aims – info and inspiration.

Size comes at a price, however, and the price is: no print version. Like the rest of the news business, SNDS is under pressure. For strictly economic reasons, the SNDS leadership has decided that this issue will be a digital-only magazine. We know that many of you will miss holding a physical mag in your hands (we will, too) but this is a necessary step.

But don’t worry – SNDS Magazine will be back in print in the new year. However, there will be only three issues each year from 2017 onwards – a decision made by the SNDS board at the meeting in October.

One of the main goals for the SNDS board will be to improve the economy. YOU can help – spread the word to get your friends and colleagues to sign up as members. If you’re not sure if he or she is already a member, check out the list of members on page 35–37. If you need arguments or proof that SNDS is alive and kicking, just forward this magazine so they can see for themselves.

In the mag this time
Because we do have a lot of proof of this. Our cover, for starters, shows the joy of winning a Gold Award, presented to Trønder-Avisa (N) at the Award Show and Gala Dinner in Malmö. The competition is organized by SNDS and the Scandinavian publishers’ organisations – and there are many more winners on page 28–34.

If you could not make it to Malmö this year, we give you a glimpse of what was in the SNDS16 programme – fourteen speakers from all over the world gave inspired presentations about topics like editorial design in the future, infographics, and how to find the “stairway to prize winning heaven”. See more on page 24–27.

The Ten Commandments
The reference to the Holy Bible in Kim Schou and Stinne Andreasen’s article (page 12–15) is no coincidence. They create award-winning longform storytelling for k.dk, website of the Danish Christian daily Kristeligt Dagblad. In November, Kim Schou received this year’s DONA Award – the ‘Oscar’ of online journalism in Denmark, presented by the Danish Online News Association – for exactly the kind of storytelling described in their Ten Commandments. So if you follow these guidelines, you should be on safe – if not exactly holy – grounds.

At Svenska Dagbladet (S) they have faith in the future of news – even in print. “The printed paper is one of our main products,” says CEO Gunilla Asker. So SvD is relaunching the paper in early 2017. Read more, including an outline of the recent redesigns of SvD, on page 21–23.

Hellos and goodbyes
We say hello and welcome three new members of the board – Annette Lysberg Gundersen from Trønder-Avisa (N), Linda Häggström, SvD (S) – and Tarmo Rajamets from Eesti Ekpress, Estonia, the latter representing the Baltic countries, now officially part of SNDS after a change of the bylaws, carried through at the General Assembly, giving the Baltics a seat in the board (page 6–7).

We say goodbye to a couple of good ‘ambassadeurs’ of SNDS ideas and values: Anders Tapola (S) is leaving the board after an unbroken period of 13 years, of which six (2007–2013) have been as SNDS President. We thank Anders for his work for the organization by showing a very small glimpse of it, taken from previous articles in SNDS Magazine and from the archives (page 8–11).

For more than 20 years, Søren Stidsholt Nielsen (DK) has been a member of SNDS, continuously working behind the scenes. Jury member, competition committee member, ‘staff photographer’ at the SNDS conferences – and much more. Retiring from the competition committee, Søren looks back at great days in the service of the organization. Read our interview on page 16–20.

Finally, this will be the last issue with me as editor. For exactly 11 years (44 issues) I have been part of producing this magazine – the first 18 issues with Jørgen Høg as the editor and for the remaining 26 as editor myself, with Lisbeth Tolstrup as my never failing co-editor. 44 issues, who could not have been possible without all you friends and colleagues out there, who unselfishly and in the name of exchange have shared your words, pictures, thoughts and ideas with our loyal readers. I cannot thank you enough for this. Building this network with people all over the world truely has been the best part of the day, and I hope we will meet again out there soon.

Last but not least: A very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all. See you in 2017.

Lars Pryds  
Editor, SNDS Magazine

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(1) From “The Best Part of the Day”, written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin. Performed by Elton John and Leon Russel on the album The Union, Mercury Records 2010, produced by T Bone Burnett.

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