Are deepfakes a threat to media authenticity?

June 3 2024

A new report gives some answers and, for the first time, the use of artificial intelligence in the media has been surveyed all over the world.

The Fritt Ord Foundation, the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at Oxford and the University of Bergen invite the public to the world-wide launch of the Reuters Digital News Report 2024 and the Norwegian report:

Monday, 17 June 2024, 08.30-10.00 a.m.
Uranienborgveien 2, Oslo

Fake images. On the left, a fake illustration of Pope Francis. On the right, a fake of presumptive US presidential candidate Donald Trump. Photos from NTB/Phil Holm and Faktisk.no
Fake images. On the left, a fake illustration of Pope Francis. On the right, a fake of presumptive US presidential candidate Donald Trump. Photos from NTB/Phil Holm and Faktisk.no

You can download the Norwegian report here
Bruksmønstre for digitale nyheter – 2024
The international report you can download here.
DNR 2024

The presentation in English can be read here
Craig Robertson DNR 2024 – NORWAY LAUNCH

The effect of AI and the fear of deepfakes
War in Ukraine, war in the Middle East, the climate crisis and the US presidential election – regardless of topic, all those who read, watch and listen to news are faced with the increasingly more daunting task of distinguishing between reliable and unreliable information.
News arrives as fragmented news bites on social media, and as a constant stream from editor-curated media that is trying to keep abreast of developments. The advent of artificial intelligence has presented new opportunities, as well as novel problems for journalism, the media and news consumers. Many fear there will be a tsunami of “deepfakes” going forward – fake news in the form of images and videos on a level never before experienced.

New responses from 47 countries
A new report, the Reuters Digital News Report 2024, provides some answers about what impact this trend is having on news consumers. The report is the most comprehensive ever made on a world-wide basis, measuring news consumption in 47 countries.
“For the first time, we have asked Norwegian news consumers about AI and journalism. Their responses give us insight into a topic of interest from the perspective of the media and public information”, comments research fellow Janne Biedilæ Bjørgan at the University of Bergen.
Bjørgan will present the Norwegian results on 17 June.
How do Norwegians see the use of AI in journalism? Who is concerned about fake news? What is the status of confidence in media authenticity? What is important for the general public when they consider the credibility of sources?
We also host a debate and talk about how the Norwegian media deals with AI and confidence.

Programme:
Moderator: Professor Roy Krøvel, Oslo Met
Research fellow Craig Robertson, Reuters Institute, will present the international report.
Research Fellow Janne Biedilæ Bjørgan, the University of Bergen, will present the Norwegian results and the Norwegian version of the report

Panel discussion about AI and confidence:
Editor-in-chief Gunnar Stavrum, Nettavisen online newspaper
News editor Tone Tveøy Strøm-Gundersen, Aftenposten
News editor Olav Østrem, Faktisk

Fritt Ord has provided funding for the international report and worked with the Norwegian version.

Journalists who cover the launch: feel free to contact us to arrange 1-on-1 interviews with Bjørgan, Moe and Robertson.

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Eirin Larsen and Hadia Tajik join the Fritt Ord Board

August 5 2025

Eirin Larsen (36) and Hadia Tajik (42) bring valuable experience from journalism, technology, politics and jurisprudence to the Fritt Ord Board.

Making the film «Farouk» – on the geologist that secured Norway its oil

July 1 2025

Geologist Farouk Al-Kasim joined the the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate in 1968, shaping Norwegian petroleum resource management for decades afterwards. Now, documentary film director Halkawt Mustafa and producer Janne Hjeltnes are making a film about Al-Kasim’s life and reflections.
“Farouk tells me something in this film that he has not talked about before, because he has always told the version he feels Norway wanted to hear,” recounts Mustafa, who has Iraqi roots himself.

Read the interview with the director and see the list of grants awarded by Fritt Ord in June 2025.

Bård Vegar Solhjell new chair of the Fritt Ord Board

July 1 2025

Bård Vegar Solhjell (53) has taken over as the new chair of the Fritt Ord Foundation Board.

Cultural newspaper TBATBA.no and new journalism grants – June 2025

June 19 2025

– Cultural journalism is under pressure. Part of the problem is media outlets failing to cover culture in formats and ways that appeal to people under 30, says Ida Madsen Hestman, editor, freelance critic, and founder of TBATBA.no. Last year, she started the kind of publication she herself would want to read.

The magazine TBA is among those awarded funding in June 2025. See the full list of grants in Norsk Journalistikk.