News

Fritt Ord’s and ZEIT-Stiftung’s Free Media Awards for 2023: Free Media Awards to journalists and media outlets from Ukraine, Georgia, Belarus and Russia

This year’s Free Media Awards will be presented to journalists Sevgil Musaieva and Yuriy Nikolov (Ukraine) and to the editorial staffs of OC Media (based in Georgia), Reform.by (Belarus) and Vazhnye Istorii (Russia). Special mention is made of those journalists, photographers and media professionals who lost their lives in the line of duty over the past year.

Fritt Ord is awarding working grants of NOK 100 000 each to five young satire artists. The recipients for autumn 2023 are: Kjersti Synneva Moen, Gina Gylver, Kaho Suzuki, Trond Johan Stavås and Halvor Mjaugedal.

Computer games are the most difficult cultural expression to review

“Half the population of Norway under age 45 are active gamers. Soon, nearly everyone will be gaming. Notwithstanding, almost none of the major media outlets in Norway review or write about computer games anymore”, sighs journalist and editor Erik Fossum, the prime mover behind the gaming magazine PressFire.

Bjarne Kveim Lie to join the Fritt Ord Foundation Board

Growth investor Bjarne Kveim Lie will join the Board of the Fritt Ord Foundation as of 14 June 2023, succeeding Christian Bjelland.

Film screening: ‘20 Days in Mariupol’ and a discussion with the director

On Wednesday, 31 May 2023 at 7.00 p.m. at Vega Scene in Oslo.
Tickets: Vega Scene

Researchers must not stop asking questions

“Explaining is not defending”, said Russia researcher Julie Wilhelmsen upon receiving the Fritt Ord Foundation Prize for 2023 on Thursday evening. The prize was awarded to her for contributing expert knowledge to the heated public debate both before and after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In so doing, she has demonstrated the importance of daring to speak out and exercise academic freedom of expression in practice.

Fritt Ord Foundation Prize for 2023

The Fritt Ord Foundation Prize for 2023 is awarded to Research Professor Julie Wilhelmsen for the nuanced specialised knowledge she brought to the heated public debate both before and after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In so doing, she has demonstrated the importance of daring to speak out and exercise academic freedom of expression in practice.

Museums under pressure

How are European museums under pressure? Freelancer Lene Christensen furnishes an answer to that question in the journal Museum. What is it like to be a physical education teacher, or to drill a tunnel or operate a petrol station? Freelancer Siri Helle is exploring the question for Dag og Tid. Here is a list of the journalism projects that Fritt Ord has provided support for in February.

Laia Abril A History of Misogyny

At 6 p.m. on Thursday, 16 March 2023, at Fritt Ord premises at Uranienborgveien 2, Oslo: The Norwegian Journal of Photography and Fritt Ord invite the public to attend a seminar featuring photographer Laia Abril. For quite some time, the Spanish photographer has worked with the project “A History of Misogyny”, a trilogy, together with the books “On Abortion” and “On Rape”, and the final volume, planned for this year: “Mass Hysteria”.

The Fritt Ord Foundation's grants for critics 2024 - 2025

The grants can be awarded to critics who work in any field related to literature, art or culture. The grants are intended to result in the production of concrete, ongoing reviews throughout the year; the goal is to help improve the quality and professionalism of a number of Norwegian critics each year. The Fritt Ord Foundation would like to give more critics better opportunities to pursue their profession and to spend more time cultivating it.

Freedom of Expression Foundation Tribute to Ella Marie Hætta Isaksen

The Freedom of Expression Foundation Tribute is awarded to actor and activist Ella Marie Hætta Isaksen (24) for her efforts to protect a minority and the indigenous rights of the Sámi.

One year of war in Ukraine: Art can provide documentation

24 February 2023 marks one year since Russia attacked Ukraine. The war has left its mark on Fritt Ord’s support for art and journalism in the past year. Fritt Ord has also provided funding for commemorations of the one-year anniversary.

Tinius, Fritt Ord and Amedia join forces to save the public information centre Medianorge for the remainder of 2023

Following the Ministry of Culture’s decision to move responsibilities from Medienorge to the Norwegian Media Authority, the Tinius and Fritt Ord foundations are joining Amedia to ensure funding for the Medianorge knowledge base at the University of Bergen for the remainder of 2023. The support totals MNOK 2.

Decolonisation, exile and cross-border media cooperation

Journalists, writers, film-makers, artists and culture critics from Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Estonia, among others, discussed decolonisation, life in exile, and media cooperation across the dividing lines of war at the Fritt Ord Foundation’s premises.