Fishing in the Media: Changing the Narrative Is a Long, Hard Journey

Article by Marlene Grøftehauge, Fiskeritidende

Changing the public narrative around Danish fisheries is a long and demanding process. That was the key message from Uffe Tang, Director of Communications at the Danish Fishermen’s PO (DFPO), during his presentation at DanFish International.

Once, fishing was seen as an industry that Danes were proud of. Today, the sector is often portrayed negatively — with oversimplified stories dominating newspapers, TV, and social media.

“When I was a child, we heard stories about how well the fishing industry was doing — and that meant Denmark was doing well, too. Today, fisheries are treated mainly as part of the environmental agenda, rather than as a vital industry,” said Uffe Tang in his presentation “Fisheries in the Media” at DanFish International.

He highlighted how difficult it is to break through the media noise with positive stories. The reality is that media outlets are more inclined to report on delays at DSB (the Danish national railway) than on days when all the trains run on time.

The same pattern applies to how the media treats the fishing industry. But fortunately, there are still levers to pull, said Uffe Tang:

“Changing the narrative is a long haul, but we need to take a 360-degree approach — engaging with the press, working strategically with social media, and helping to create political stability so our voice can be heard.”