Before he succeeded Ola Sigvardsson as Allmänheten’s media ombudsman in 2021, Caspar Opitz worked, among other things, as a foreign correspondent and editor-in-chief at Dagens Nyheter.
When he returns to the newspaper, 26 years after his first job, it will take on the role of foreign affairs officer and deputy editor-in-chief.
– It feels a bit like coming home, says Caspar Opitz.
As an ombudsman for public media – a role funded by the media itself – Opitz was responsible for ensuring that Swedish media adhered to the industry’s ethical guidelines. He says the job felt meaningful “every second” but that the paper’s “quality and resources to do insightful and touching journalism” drew him back to DN.
– We live in a time of enormous geopolitical challenges and a simultaneous democracy and climate crisis. It is more important than ever to understand the world around us. With Sweden’s largest network of correspondents, there is a good opportunity to make something good out of it, he continues.
Caspar Opitz follows Pia Skagermark who is retiring in December.
– Pia Skagermark was a real support at DN and I was worried about having to find a replacement for her for a long time. That’s why I’m incredibly happy that Caspar Opitz wants to return to DN. “He is a very experienced and competent editor and also a former correspondent,” says DN editor-in-chief Anna Åberg.
Pia Skagermark herself states that the role of Head of External Affairs was the best she has had in her more than 40 years at DN:
– And then I go when it’s the most fun! We have really invested in foreign journalism and have grown with more correspondents and a strong presence in the world.
Caspar Opitz will start at DN in the fall and take up his new position in December.
