The Danish government has reached a new media agreement, expected to take effect from the beginning of 2019. The new measures include a cut in DR’s budget of 20% and tearing up the license fee for public broadcasting. The Nordic Journalists Federation NJF (Nordisk Journalistförbund) deeply regrets such a decision and joins the appeals to the Danish government to withdraw it and return to the policy in line with European standards. A reduction in funding of 20 percent will have a huge impact on the content, on the capacity of public service media to fund investigative journalism, and on media pluralism. These days public service broadcasting is more important than ever in preserving quality journalism in commercial media as well. Replacing the license fee by a line in the state budget is another problematic proposal as it would offer to the government a tool to interfere in newsrooms. Instead of cutting budgets and increasing the risk of political control, Denmark should secure long-term funding and create greater and more effective safeguards for the independence and stability of public service broadcasting. Helsinki 21.3.2018 Hanne Aho President, Nordic Journalists Federation Nordisk Journalistförbund NJF