journal DER Media
Norwegian journalism: DER journal - Bilingual Norwegian-Arabic journal
The Norwegian-Arabic social studies journal DER, based in Bergen, has been granted NOK 100 000 in support for three publications in April, August and December 2024, accompanied by a seven-minute podcast with each issue.
“I think the greatest threat to democracy in Norway is that some of us are not following along with what is going on. This may be due to language barriers, or the subscription system used by Norwegian newspapers”, says editor and founder Osama Shaheen. Born in Syria, Shaheen is a Palestinian refugee, originally educated as a dentist. He has also earned a master’s degree in social work and gender studies from Bergen. He arrived in Norway in 2015, and now works as a journalist at Bergens Tidende.
“The bilingual layout makes it easier for speakers of Arabic to keep up with developments in Norway, and it helps Norwegian speakers understand us better. Assimilation is a task that rests on both groups, not just recent arrivals”, remarks Shaheen. ‘Der’ in Arabic means house, in the sense of Norway being a new home.
“DER would like to help speakers of Arabic form opinions about current affairs and ongoing debates in society”, comments the editor. DER is currently operated by a young editorial board: Emad Alwahibi (38), Mohanad Lotfi Abdallah (39), Mostafa El-Sayed Hussain (30), Elsa de Valerio (29) and Hayan Hussain (27). Operations are largely on a voluntary basis, but the writers are paid fees. In 2024, they will be addressing poverty, the Gulf States and love, among other things. Fritt Ord provided support to help get the journal started in 2021.
Photo: Excerpts and front covers. Upper right: MP Kamzy Gunaratnam and the journal’s editor and founder Osama Shaheen at the launch in 2021. The magasine publishes news in Arabic for speakers of Arabic in Norway.