In August, Anna Careborg announced that she would be leaving her role as the publisher of Svenska Dagbladet for a new position at Sveriges Television. After an intensive recruitment process with many qualified internal and external applicants, it is now confirmed that Svenska Dagbladet’s Cultural Editor, Lisa Irenius, will take over. The publisher role includes being the editor-in-chief, CEO, and responsible publisher.
“I am very happy and honoured by the assignment and the trust. Svenska Dagbladet represents journalism that is independent and informed but also curious and enjoyable. I wish for nothing more than for even more people to discover SvD and the journalism we stand for. I look forward so much to continuing to develop the newspaper together with all colleagues into the obvious first choice for curious news readers,” says Lisa Irenius.
Svenska Dagbladet has undergone a transformation over the past four years, becoming a modern and fully reader-focused newspaper. This development work has engaged everyone at SvD and has not only made the newspaper digitally profitable but has also led to Svenska Dagbladet winning the Stora Journalistpriset (Great Journalist Awards) in the category of Storyteller of the Year for two consecutive years.
“Continuing to develop journalism and the business is crucial for the media industry moving forward. We are living in a challenging time where the economic situation hits hard against the media, both in terms of advertising and readership. At the same time, we are facing a technological shift where AI is expected to be more disruptive than digitization. Navigating this new landscape requires an innovative, courageous and responsive leader who knows how to challenge old truths,” says Siv Juvik Tveitnes.
Innovation and courage are common threads in Lisa Irenius’ career. In 2013, she was awarded Stora Journalistpriset (the Great Journalist Prize) in the category of Innovator of the Year for revitalizing cultural journalism at UNT. This year, she was nominated in the same category for the project “AI Listens to Podcasts” at SvD Kultur.
“The media industry is facing challenges, and we need to handle them. At the same time, especially with the breakthroughs in AI, it is an exciting time for journalism. I’m glad that SvD is firmly rooted in journalism, but also that we are forward-leaning, curious and open—and that we are part of a collaborative-oriented group like Schibsted, with high expertise in tech,” says Lisa Irenius.
