I t took a study abroad program to Denmark to renew Michael Marcinko’s faith in journalism.

A senior mass communications major and music minor, Marcinko was one of 14 Georgia College students who traveled to Denmark in May. They met various government personalities and engaged with Danish journalists. This enabled them to compare Denmark’s public broadcasting network and Danish methods of persuasion to media content in the U.S.

“It renewed a bit of my faith in journalism, which has been almost completely eroded in the United States,” Marcinko said. “Visiting different state-funded news organizations, as well as independently run organizations, seeing their differences and strengths, and noticing how serious they hold the truth in their reporting gave me a renewed sense of hope in journalism as a career and as a watchdog for government and private organizations.”

The study opportunity was the department of communication’s first abroad program since 2012, and its first to Denmark—considered to be one of the happiest places in the world.

Most people in the group started out as strangers but quickly became friends.
 
“My overall impression of Denmark is that it’s a beautiful, quaint, clean and easy-going country with some of the happiest people I have ever seen,” said senior Rob Trotter, a mass communications major with a minor in music.

“I would highly encourage others to visit Denmark after the experiences that I’ve had,” he said. “It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime trip that I’m so grateful and lucky to have been a part of.”

The two-week program was led by Denmark native and Assistant Professor of strategic communication Dr. Mikkel Christensen and Dr. Janet Hoffman, professor of rhetoric. This was homecoming for Christensen, who worked as a reporter for the Danish Broadcasting Corporation in Copenhagen.

The group followed a challenging and fast-paced agenda—touring Christiansborg Palace, where the Danish parliament resides; walking Copenhagen with a boat ride on the Nyhavn Canal; meeting the editor of the Danish Broadcasting Corp.; talking with a musician and AIDS activist; visiting the Berlingske newspaper and National Museum of Denmark; and getting a photo with Mette Frederiksen, the prime minister of Denmark. They learned about 'spin' on news, what it's like to work with reporters, politics and relations between the U.S. and Denmark.

The group also toured the TV2 News station; a Danish minority newspaper in Flensburg, Germany; the Børneavisen, a newspaper for children; a Danish radio station; and the Danish School of Media and Journalism.

Students were expected to collaborate with each other to document their experiences through texts and photos. These will later be published online.

“Often it was hard to remember what all I did each day,” Marcinko said, “because we did so much! It was hard work, exhausting and required a lot of walking, but well worth it.”

"Having visited Denmark,” he said, “I’ve been given a positive outlook on the country, on their politics, on their journalism, on their culture, on almost every aspect of life there. I’d love to visit again and plan on doing so in the future and I would encourage others to visit, if they can.”

Junior Kaitlyn Holtz is a mass communication major with a pathway in strategic communications and a concentration in advertising. This opportunity was the highlight of her year, she said, allowing her to connect class lessons with interactions with journalists and politicians. Holtz's most prized moment was meeting Denmark's prime minister and learning new political perspectives. She also enjoyed talking with Brigitte Borup, foreign editor for Denmark’s biggest newspaper.

"It was really eye opening being able to hear her speak freely about American politics. But most importantly, she wanted to hear what we thought. Seeing a woman in a power position like that especially in such a tough industry was truly inspiring," Holtz said.

"Being able to not just do the normal tourist things but being able to actually meet people working in the industry we are all striving to get into was priceless," she said. "Also, the first-hand personal experiences and the hands-on learning we were able to do with professionals in the industry is something I will never forget."

Along the way, the group sampled traditional Danish food like Danish meatballs on rye and pickled herring with curry sauce. They spent time at Christensen’s family beach house and two nights at Løgumkloster Folk High School—a type of summer camp where young adults explore relaxing topics like mindfulness, board and card games and even how to maintain chicken coops.

Marcinko especially liked the folk high school, because he’s always had a fear of “falling behind in life.” It helped him realize life is not all about finding a career. He’d like to return to Denmark someday and attend a folk camp.

“It made me realize that life isn't a sprint, and it doesn’t have to be a marathon,” he said. “I could go and learn things that interest me. I could do things for my own happiness, rather than my own success, and I could be in a community with people that share my same thoughts.”

Prior to going abroad, the students weren’t sure how Danes would accept Americans. But they quickly discovered that Nordic culture is friendly, laidback and unsuspicious. So much so, in fact, Trotter was surprised to see parents leaving babies unattended in strollers on the sidewalk, while they watched from inside restaurants.

“We were greeted by pleasant culture shocks,” Trotter said. “Danes are very trusting of one another. This gave me hope in humanity and reassurance that not everyone has ill intentions.”

The study abroad opportunity was “an eyeopener,” giving Trotter a firsthand view of the possible careers he can pursue in communications—something he is “extremely grateful for.”

Christensen was delighted to share his home country with the group. As a former reporter for a consumer magazine, plus radio news and the Danish Broadcasting Corp., Christensen—in devising the program—felt his connections and experiences would offer a perspective his students were unlikely to encounter otherwise.