Erik Strand, 03.05.2025
The folloving is basically a translation of my commentary in Norwegian on some statements from Progress Party politician Simen Velle.
Simen Velle is the leader of the Progress Party’s (FrP) youth organisation, FpU. The FrP is one of the largest political parties in Norway, and Simen Velle is a young politician who can be said to have shown skills in getting media attention.
According to an article in Aftenposten, one of Norway’s largest newspapers, Velle warns against alternative media and distrust towards the press. I quote from Aftenposten’s article:
“The leader of the Progress Party’s youth organisation (FpU) is worried that young pepole’s declining confidence in editor governed media will give alternative media more power. He fears an evolution where non editor governed media will gain more influence, and where they spread false information. The result will be that one debates out for different conceptions of reality.
– What I am afraid of, is that alternative media will gain much more power. And that people suddenly sit and talk out of two completely different realities. That is very dangerous, and we must not get there, Velle says.”
Later in the article:
“Velle himself is clear that he has confidence in editor governed media.
– Norwegian press relates to the Be Careful Guidelines [Vær Varsom-plakaten], and it is followed. You have got a professional committee that sanctions you when you cross the line, he says. The FpU leader says that Norwegian press is among the most well behaved.
On Fampos website in Norwegian one finds a collection of articles showing a completely different reality when it comes to Norwegian mainstream media. A less comprehensive collection of articles in English can be found here, and a collection of artcicles about media internationallly can be found here. The article collection contains a lot of examples of both well known and lesser known Norwegian media personalities who further factual wrong information of narratives which lead to a biased understanding of reality, and which gains the interests of powerful networks.
The important thing here is not only what media publish, but their omissions as well. Dag Hiåsen has written the report Ytringsfrihetens pris i Det skjulte Norge [The price of Freedom of Speech in the Veiled Norway]. The report delves into how it was sabotaged when a Norwegian local newspaper started publishing documented stories about shady conditions in Norway, and a radio station in the same area followed up. Powerful forces did not want certain conditions to be covered.
Media coverage on covid 19 and lockdown clearly demonstrates that it is media that are labeled “alternative” that have provided the most truthful news and analysis on serious topics. One can take a look at this collection of articles on covid 19 and corona measures, consentrating on Norwegian conditions. One sees from the collection of articles that “alternative media” have been clearly leading in providing information on a very serious subject.
Simen Velle’s defence of Norwegian mainstream media and his warnings about alternative media is an ugly example of whitewashing media’s silence about conditions they should have been highlighting.
Fampo 