Aftonbladet’s new editor-in-chief Lotta Folcker refused in November, in her role as sports manager at Viaplay, to appear for an interview – with Sportbladet. “It was a turbulent time,” says Lotta Folcker.
This morning Lotta Folcker received flowers at Aftonbladet’s editorial office – in April she will take over as the newspaper’s editor-in-chief, responsible publisher and CEO. She most recently came from her job as sports director at Viaplay, but has previously worked at Aftonbladet, including as the newspaper’s television director. She has also worked at TV4, including as head of Nyhetsmorgon.
– It feels fantastically fun, honorable and great. And fun to be back at Aftonbladet, of course, says Lotta Folcker to Journalisten.
What do you want to do differently than your representative?
– I haven’t gotten there yet. What I want is for Aftonbladet to retain the will and drive in the transformation we are in. I know that there is a strong management at Aftonbladet and a very competent organization. Aftonbladet is in a good place and there is great courage in the editorial staff. I think that courage will be absolutely decisive going forward.
Will you be a visible editor-in-chief?
– I imagine that I will have to be, but I can’t answer exactly in what way yet. Then there is always a question of how to prioritize time.
What is more important, being CEO or being editor-in-chief?
– It depends on where it burns the most, haha. You need to be able to have both balls in the air, to both defend journalism in a troubled time and to finance journalism, and develop the product.
The Tinius Foundation is about to buy out Schibsted’s news business. If that purchase goes through, will it be noticed in Aftonbladet?
– I think so. There is a clarity from Tinius that they want to develop journalism and invest in and strengthen the position of the Swedish media. It is safe to have such a strong owner behind you.
In November, Lotta Folcker received criticism from sports journalists for refusing to appear for an interview with Sportbladet, which Journalisten told about.
What do you think about it today?
– Now I was a bit confused. It was in a situation where I was in a meeting with the management and could not take the interview. I asked another person to answer the questions. It was a turbulent time.
What do you say about the trend of journalists being denied phone interviews with whoever is in charge and instead getting email interviews with press officers?
– There are different cultures at different companies and now I get to embrace the culture that exists here. We usually have people who answer questions and you naturally want the person in charge to also answer the questions.
But what do you think about the fact that you yourself actually ducked just such an interview, with Sportbladet in particular?
– I don’t think it was ducking in that situation. I don’t know if I should go into it, but it was quite a messy thing and sometimes you have to delegate to someone else who should be able to answer the questions.
You refused to appear for an interview with us at the same time.
– As I remember it, I replied, though via email.
