The football magazine Josimar receives support for a special issue on the World Cup in Qatar

April 25 2022

The football magazine Josimar has been granted NOK 500 000 in support for investigative journalism to cover corruption and human rights abuse in international top football. The support will be used, among other things, for a special issue on abuses of human rights against migrant workers in Qatar.

Josimar is the Norwegian editor-controlled medium that has written the most about the processes in the run-up to the Football World Cup in Qatar ever since the country was awarded the role of host in 2010. After being the first to cover the corruption surrounding the choice of venue, since 2015, Josimar’s editorial board has worked to look into the working conditions for foreign workers there. In addition to covering the preparations for the World Cup in Qatar, for several years, Josimar has been delving into the corruption in top football in Africa and in relation to the Football World Cup in Russia in 2018. Several investigative projects have been carried out in collaboration with major international media outlets like BBC and The Guardian.

“It’s quite a long time since football was only a question of football – joy, solidarity, ups and downs, and 40 bathroom stops with the supporters’ buss in the 40 km between Oslo and Drammen. These days, football is big politics, and that has been the case for an exceptionally long time”, observes Josimar’s editor Håvard Melnæs.

“Josimar is committed to providing dependable international-class journalism on corruption and other crime in top football, and to pointing out how inbred the field is in terms of power, finances and politics. We are delighted to support this kind of journalism”, comments Knut Olav Åmås, executive director of Fritt Ord.

“This money gives us the opportunity to continue our investigative journalism in fields that major media outlets tend to avoid in their quest for clicks and more clicks”, concludes Håvard Melnæs.
Josimar was recently named Journal of the Year by the Norwegian Association of the Periodical Press.

News

Civitates' Tech & Democracy open call

March 6 2025

Civitates – The European Democracy Fund is a pooled philanthropic fund that was set up in 2018 for the sole purpose of addressing democratic decline and closing civic space in Europe. The case for confronting these threats is growing increasingly urgent. Fritt Ord Foundation is one of the initiators and partners of Civitates.

Civitates has launched its Tech and Democracy open call to support organisations working to ensure safer, more inclusive online spaces (social media platforms, search engines etc.) by improving the enforcement of EU tech regulations at the national level.

This open call offers a unique opportunity to strengthen civil society’s role in holding the tech sector accountable, with a focus on key EU regulations such as the Digital Services Act, GDPR, AI Act or the European Media Freedom Act to name a few.

Call for nominations: Free Media Awards 2025

March 3 2025

In collaboration with the ZEIT STIFTUNG BUCERIUS of Hamburg, the Fritt Ord Foundation has allocated the Free Media Awards annually since 2004 to Eastern European journalists and media that defy every obstacle to tirelessly ensure independent press coverage. Russia’s war against Ukraine and the subsequent wave of disinformation clearly demonstrates the need for independent reporting in the region. Journalists and media in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Russia, Ukraine and Hungary that promote freedom of the press through their investigative and independent reporting are eligible to be nominated for the Free Media Awards.

Art and Institutions: “I Demand a Museum to Feel its Own Floors Tremble When Other Museums are Destroyed in War”

February 12 2025

Saturday 22 February 2025 at Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo, from 14.30 to 16.30 h.

Conversation with Adam Budak (Poland/Germany), Stefanie Carp (Germany), Matej Drlička (Slovakia), Andrea Geyer (USA) og Sarah Lookofsky (USA/Norway). Ingerid Salvesen is moderator.

Across the world, cultural institutions are under increasing pressure. Censorship, self-censorship, drastic funding cuts, and political and sponsorship interference are on the rise. Former and present institutional directors – with personal experiences of political pressure, cancellation and censorship from different geographic contexts – will discuss the limitations and capacities of art institutions in the present.

Freedom of Expression Foundation Tribute to Sara Gaulin

February 5 2025

Sarah Gaulin (30) is being awarded the Freedom of Expression Foundation Tribute for her courageous and principled defence of freedom of expression in the face of extremism, gang crime and negative social control.
As a prominent voice, Gaulin has drawn attention to some of the most demanding and controversial social challenges of our time.