The former leader of the news department of NRK, Finn H. Andreassen, vehemently attacks NRK in the wake of a feature in «Lørdagsrevyen». In the contribution field, he gets massive support from angry licence payers.
– As an old man (by many possibly labelled sour old fogy) I sat shaking my head trying to grasp which assessments were the basis for Dagsrevyen sending the feature, «Tenåringssjokket» («the shocking teens»). It is something of the most embarrassing I have ever been watching in Dagsrevyen, Andreassen writes in the Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang about the 17 minutes-long feature «Tenåringssjokket» in the news last Saturday.
– The question I was left with after having suffered through Dagsrevyen was the following, Is this really the most important news from at home and abroad that the national channel in accordance with its mandate with the licence payers finds worthy of paying attention to? As an old man (by many possibly labelled sour old fogy) I sat shaking my head trying to grasp which assessments was the basis for the feature, he continues.
Also read, Multi millionaire and leader of the television, Thor Gjermund Eriksen, earns three millions annually; demands that the NRK licence is increased.
Several of those watching NRK have noticed a change both in the way news are presented and what television programmes are produced by the national channel in the past few years.
Many state that NRK has moved far left politically after the former Sosialistisk Venstreparti (the Socialist Left) politician Thor Gjermund Eriksen became leader of the television in 2012.
Andreassen tells that he has been leader of the news department in both NRK and TV2. He doubts whether the licence payers can trust that which is presented as news by the NRK.
– I have never before experienced that one has used half the news to making a commercial for a self produced programme on teenage conflicts in a private home. This is so rare that an interesting question is raised, Is this a new angle and policy of priority in journalism with the most important news medium, the NRK? If so, What happens next? And may one trust that the monopoly enterprise provides us with a correct news picture, he asks.
In the contribution field of Verdens Gang he gets answered. Over 200 persons have written their opinion, most of them agreeing with the former NRK profile.
– This has become quite common today, but 17 minutes are surely much. TV2 has practised this for quite some time. It is not strange that people give in on the traditional news channels, one person writes.
– Two teens from a rich family complaining? And that is shocking? No … How tragic, and of national interest. Fuck you, NRK. That is not the reason why I pay my licence, another one writes.
Translated to English by Lars Hoem