National Newspaper drops high-carbon adverts for fossil fuels, flights & cars
The top Swedish daily newspaper Dagens Nyheter (Daily News) has been a relative frontrunner in terms of reporting on climate change, spanning from extreme weather events to climate science and political issues. In recent years, the editor in chief, Peter Wolodarski, has also come out as a strong supporter of action. He made a deal with Greta Thunberg to let her be a stand-in for him as editor and take control of the paper for one day. He even let her review all of the advertisements and decide what went in and what didn’t.
The deal with Greta was published in an editorial in November last year, when he also confessed that he regretted not taking climate change more seriously in the past. His ambition was to review particular policies, for example with regard to advertising.
We have eagerly been waiting for this review as we plan to introduce the Badvertising campaign in Sweden. If Dagens Nyheter changed its policy it would influence any campaign strategy.
On February 18, the new policy was published. It concerns advertising on “climate and sustainability” and is a short document without a great amount of detail. It sets out rules that still need to be developed. When asked about being more specific, the newspaper replied that the details will be developed by practice. Case by case.
We will see if that proves to be a good approach. It means at least that there is a foundation to build on and develop something stronger. The most interesting and concrete rule in the new policy concerns the paper’s premium advertising spaces, meaning full pages and high exposure placements.
The policy states that “we advocate climate advertising that is characterized by sustainability - and not, for example, the marketing of petrol cars and long-haul flights.”
Of course, this raises questions. What, exactly, is a “petrol car” and how long is a “long-haul flight”?
Sweden is a small country and Dagens Nyheter is a speck in the global media universe. Nevertheless, as far as I know this is a major statement and a first from a leading newspaper in any country. From this beginning we can move on from and push other media, in Sweden and other countries, to follow the example. Crucially, it proves that a major newspaper doesn’t need to publish adverts for climate-bashing SUVs and flights. In Sweden we will also make sure that Dagens Nyheter decides that “petrol cars” are all cars with a combustion engine and that all flights are defined as long-haul flights.
Gunnar Lind
Badvertising campaigner in Sweden
Here’s the official statement:
Dagens Nyheter (DN) traditionally has a liberal attitude to advertisements. DN has been and is an open space for advertising from different actors with different types of focus and we welcome and allow ads and advertisers who want to market themselves in a serious and credible environment. But we also make demands on certain types of ads for ethical reasons; for example, we have our own rules about gambling ads that are not allowed to attract with false promises of large and easily accessible winnings and we have our own guidelines about alcohol ads that must not be too dominant in the newspaper and on the site.
In the same way, we are now introducing a number of rules for advertising on climate and sustainability. We welcome ads on these topics and want to be the leading platform on advertising in the sustainability issue, as long as the following criteria are met:
Advertisements about climate and sustainability should generally be serious, credible, fact-based, balanced, not hard-hitting or exaggerated.
Advertisements about climate and sustainability must be strictly correct when it comes to facts. Allegations must be substantiated, source reference to serious factual evidence may be required.
Claims about climate benefit from an advertiser / company must be balanced and grounded in reality - exaggerations must not occur.
On our premium formats (large ads on the front page, “takeovers” on the site, etc.), we do not publish ads from players who have the majority of their income from the fossil fuel industry.
In the premium advertising spaces, we advocate climate advertising that is characterized by sustainability - and not, for example, the marketing of petrol cars and long-haul flights.
We reserve the right to reject ads that do not meet the above requirements.
The policy in Swedish
Dagens Nyheter har traditionsenligt en liberal inställning till annonser. DN har varit och är ett öppet torg för annonsering från olika aktörer med olika typer av inriktning och vi välkomnar och tillåter annonser och annonsörer som vill marknadsföra sig i en seriös och trovärdig miljö. Men vi ställer också krav på vissa typer av annonser av etiska skäl; till exempel har vi egna regler kring spelannonser som inte tillåts locka med falska löften om stora och lättåtkomliga vinster och vi har egna riktlinjer kring alkoholannonser som inte får vara för dominerande i tidningen och på sajten.
På samma sätt inför vi nu ett antal regler för annonsering kring klimat och hållbarhet. Vi välkomnar annonser i dessa ämnen och vill vara den ledande plattformen kring annonsering i hållbarhetsfrågan, så länge nedanstående kriterier uppfylls:
Annonser om klimat och hållbarhet ska generellt sett vara seriösa, trovärdiga, faktabaserade, balanserade, ej hårdvinklade eller överdrivna.
Annonser om klimat och hållbarhet ska vara strikt korrekta när det gäller fakta. Påståenden ska beläggas, källhänvisning till seriöst faktaunderlag kan krävas.
Påståenden om klimatnytta från en annonsör/ett bolag ska vara balanserade och förankrade i verkligheten – överdrifter ska ej förekomma.
På våra premiumformat (stora annonser på förstasidan, ”takeovers” på sajten etc) publicerar vi inte annonser från aktörer som har huvuddelen av sina inkomster från fossilindustrin.
På premiumannonsplatserna förordar vi klimatannonsering som präglas av hållbarhet – och inte exempelvis marknadsföring av bensinbilar och långa flygresor.
Vi förbehåller oss rätten att avvisa annonser som inte lever upp till ovanstående krav.