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Denník N

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Denník N
TypeDaily newspaper
PublisherN Press
Editor-in-chiefMatúš Kostolný
Deputy editorVitalia Bella

Juraj Javorský

Marek Chorvatovič
Founded1 January 2015
Political alignmentCentrism, Liberalism
LanguageSlovak
HeadquartersJarošova 1, 831 03 Bratislava
ISSN1339-844X. (print)
2729-9198 (web)
Websitedennikn.sk

Denník N is an independent Slovak daily newspaper and digital news outlet founded in 2015 in Bratislava. It is regarded as one of the most influential independent media organizations in Slovakia, with a business model built primarily on reader subscriptions.[1]

History

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The paper was established in January 2015 by a group of journalists who left the daily SME after a major stake in its publisher was acquired by an investment group with links to the financial conglomerate Penta.[2]

In 2014, the Namav, a subject subvented by the Penta Investments group, announced the purchase of Petit Press, the publisher of the newspaper. In reaction, a major part of the editorial board, including the editor-in-chief, announced their resignation. "We are leaving SME and we will try to create a new medium that no one will suspect that it serves someone other than the readers", stated Matúš Kostolný, the departing editor-in-chief.[3]

The founders positioned Denník N as a newsroom independent of oligarchic and political influence, focusing on investigative and explanatory journalism.[4] In subsequent years, subscription growth accelerated; by 2024, Denník N reported more than 70,000[5] paying readers. A bold marketing campaign in 2025 added 10,000 new subscribers within four days.[6]

Operations  

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Denník N publishes a daily print edition on weekdays, alongside a 24/7 digital platform with articles, newsletters, podcasts, and video.[7]

As of late 2025, the newsroom employed around 130 staff members, including 110 journalists, and the publication had over 80,000 paid subscribers.[7]

The company runs a book-publishing division, which has released over 150 titles, including works by Slovak and international authors.[7] The organization has also developed the Readers Engagement and Monetization Platform (REMP), an open-source suite of tools designed to support digital subscription and donation models. REMP is used by publishers across Europe, Africa, and Asia.[7]

Expansion and sister outlets

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In 2018, Denník N, co-founded Deník N, an independent daily in the Czech Republic, in cooperation with local investors. In 2021, it acquired Hiking.sk, a Slovak online platform dedicated to hiking and outdoor activities. In 2022, it launched Napunk, a Hungarian-language news portal serving Slovakia’s Hungarian minority. Since 2023, the company has been a minority shareholder in the Czech weekly Respekt, the feminist magazine Heroine, and the IT company FatChilli.[7]

Ownership

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Denník N is published by N Press, s.r.o., which is fully owned by Denník N, a.s.,[8] a joint-stock company with more than 80 shareholders.[7] The majority are journalists and staff of Denník N.[7]

Recognition  

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The paper has been consistently ranked among the most awarded Slovak media organizations at the annual Journalism Award competition.[9][10] International observers have highlighted Denník N as a case study in sustainable subscription-driven journalism in Central and Eastern Europe.[11][12]

Denník N published Threema chat logs of the Slovak businessman Marián Kočner in March 2019, which prove that he was able to pursue his far-reaching criminal business for years with the toleration or active assistance of many Slovak politicians, prosecutors, and judges. Kočner is determined as the alleged commissioner of the murder of the investigative journalists Ján Kuciak and Martina Kušnírová. The murder triggered the 2018 crisis in Slovakia.[13][14]

References

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  1. ^ "These Slovak journalists quit their paper and built an independent rival with 23,000 digital subscribers". Nieman Lab.
  2. ^ "Oligarchs of Eastern Europe Scoop up Stakes in Media Companies (Published 2014)". The New York Times. 27 November 2014.
  3. ^ "Penta se nedala odradit. Vstoupila do slovenského deníku Sme". Aktuálně.cz (in Czech). Economia. Czech News Agency. 14 October 2014. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  4. ^ "These Slovak journalists quit their paper and built an independent rival with 23,000 digital subscribers". Nieman Lab.
  5. ^ "Slovak outlet Denník N has 70,000 paid subscribers. Here are seven lessons from their journey". 7 February 2024.
  6. ^ "Slovakia's Dennik N's bold campaign brought 10,000 new subscribers in just four days". 29 January 2025.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g "Denník N: A Voice for Independent Journalism in Central Europe". Denník N (in Slovak). Petit Press, a.s. 2 May 2025. ISSN 1339-844X. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
  8. ^ "N Press, s. r. o." Business Register of the Slovak Republic on Internet (in Slovak). Ministry of justice of the Slovak republic. 12 January 2026. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
  9. ^ Sodor, František; TASR (3 May 2023). "Víťazi 19. ročníka Novinárskej ceny sú známi. RTVS získala dve ocenenia". Slovak Television and Radio (in Slovak). Retrieved 13 January 2026.
  10. ^ "Novinárska cena 2024: Volebný rok preveril demokraciu aj žurnalistiku. Víťazi ukázali, prečo na médiách záleží | Nadácia otvorenej spoločnosti". Open Society Foundation (in Slovak). 21 May 2025. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
  11. ^ Gruber, Marc (July 2021). Schroeder, Renate (ed.). "Sustainable innovative journalism and new business models" (PDF). European Federation of Journalists. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
  12. ^ Breiner, James (26 June 2019). "Is quality journalism sustainable? Here are 20 media organizations that are solving this problem". James Breiner: Entrepreneurial Journalism. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
  13. ^ "Kočner worried he might end up in jail, decoded messages show". The Slovak Spectator. Petit Press, a. s. 1 August 2019. ISSN 1335-9843. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
  14. ^ Sirotnikova, Miroslava German (9 October 2019). "Puppet Master: Slovakia Reckons with Backstory to Reporter's Killing". Balkan Insight. Balkan Investigative Reporting Network. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
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