Kjersti Sortland uses this slide to describe how strategic thinking in the media industry has fundamentally shifted over time. In earlier phases, competition was about building barriers to entry — owning printing presses, distribution and capital-intensive infrastructure that made it difficult for others to compete. This was followed by a period where strategy focused on analysing every move, treating competition like a chess game in which publishers tried to anticipate rivals and optimise positioning step by step. Today, she argues, neither of these approaches is sufficient. In a landscape shaped by mobile, platforms, algorithms and rapid technological change, strategy is instead about surfing the waves: accepting constant movement, adapting quickly, and staying balanced rather than trying to control the environment. Success now depends less on defence or prediction and more on agility, focus and the ability to move with change without losing direction.

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​Today Stavanger Aftenblad’s strategy rests on the insight that relevance and trust are inseparable and must be built simultaneously through everyday journalism. Trust is not treated as a static asset or legacy advantage, but as something that is continuously earned by being relevant to people’s daily lives in the  region. The newsroom therefore defines relevance broadly — not only as hard news, but as journalism that helps readers understand their surroundings, their communities, their work life, their family life and the local consequences of political and economic decisions. This understanding of relevance is what underpins the newspaper’s focus on engagement, loyalty and digital subscriptions.

A key strategic decision has been to concentrate resources where the organisation can create unique value. Rather than competing with national and international media on their terms, the newsroom has chosen to be uncompromisingly regional, serving a clearly defined core audience of digital subscribers while recognising that strong local relevance naturally attracts adjacent age groups. This focus allows for clearer editorial priorities, stronger storytelling and better use of limited resources, and reduces internal uncertainty about what the organisation should and should not do.

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The strategy becomes practice through a clear set of editorial principles:

• Stavanger Aftenpost should be the best, using emotions and regional exclusivity, at

  • Breaking news: Stavanger Aftenblad aims to be first and best at local news updates, providing fast, reliable and continuously updated reporting when something happens in the region.

  • Explanation: Journalism should help readers understand what is happening locally — why decisions are made, how systems work, and what consequences issues have for people’s everyday lives.

  • Agenda-setting journalism: The newsroom prioritises investigations, exclusives and critical reporting that reveal wrongdoing, challenge power and define what matters locally.

    • People and emotions: Stories are anchored in real people and lived experiences, recognising that emotion is a legitimate and necessary part of engagement and understanding.

    • Regional exclusivity: Content should be something readers cannot get elsewhere — rooted in the region, its identity and its specific challenges and opportunities.

• The target audience is citizens in the life phase of 30-55 years old

• The tools to achieve the above are:

  • Put the reader first: make audience needs, relevance and everyday usefulness the primary guide for editorial and product decisions.

  • Prioritise clearly: focus resources on what matters most, make deliberate choices, and dare to say no to lower-impact work.

  • Work as one team: collaborate across editorial, product, technology and commercial functions to deliver shared goals and consistent execution.