Divisions of labor: Why alternative news users seek out mainstream news media in Denmark and how they combine mainstream and alternative content.

This study investigates why users of Danish alternative media also engage with mainstream news media despite expressing low trust in them, and how they combine content from both sources. Based on qualitative interviews with 25 Danish alternative media users, the research finds that mainstream media are primarily used for general orientation, social connection, opinion confirmation, and entertainment, often as part of habitual or incidental exposure. Two distinct patterns emerge in combining media types: one with a clear division of labor where mainstream media provide broad coverage and one side of contested topics while alternative media supply missing perspectives, and another with overlapping roles where alternative media serve as a peripheral supplement. The findings suggest that alternative media do not displace mainstream media in users’ news repertoires, a dynamic shaped by Denmark’s strong public service tradition, relatively high trust in mainstream news, and a less-developed alternative media landscape; however, the small, non-representative sample limits generalizability.