The topic of this year’s competition was “Propaganda”, and participants were invited to submit entries in a variety of genres: audio, video or online productions, essays or articles. Fritt Ord received 255 interpretations of the assignment, and the projects have shed light on different types of propaganda from a number of perspectives.

The following four projects are the winners:

• A video essay on body-image pressure, submitted by Marta Berstad from Nord-Gudbrandsdal Upper Secondary School (also the school of last year’s winners)
• Music video on propaganda and the great ideologies of the 1900s, submitted by Tobias Karlsen and fellow pupils at Bergeland Upper Secondary School in Stavanger
• “Out of hibernation”, essay written by Selma Sofie Norup, Bergen Cathedral School, based on Trump’s election victory
• The essay “This is propaganda” by Leah Jakobsen, Ullern Upper Secondary School, a personal text about media pressure in everyday life

In addition to a cash prize, the prize laureates will take part in a study tour to Strasbourg, where they will visit the Council of Europe, the European Court of Human Rights and the EU parliament.

Programme for the awards ceremony:

• Speech by the chair of the Fritt Ord Foundation Board, Grete Brochmann
• Speech by the chair of the jury, Jostein Saxegaard, and jury members Lene Julsen and Lars Laird Iversen.
• Speech by the prize laureates

Iver Jensen, jury member and former winner of the Fritt Ord Foundation Competition, will be master of ceremonies for the event.

The programme will finish by 3 p.m., and will be followed by a social gathering. Canapés will be served.