Norway
Norway has been ranked first out of 180 for a second consecutive year according to World Press Freedom Index 2023 (WPFI), showing it is the most favorable and free media environment globally. As stated by the Committee to Protect Journalists there are no journalists killed, imprisoned, or gone missing.
WPFI publishes a ranking of 180 countries, determined by the NGO Reporters Without Borders (RSF). Their value is to defend the rights of all people who want to access reliable information since it is beneficial to base an opinion on important issues around the world. Their mission is to support journalism fighting for their independence.
According to Britannica, Norway is a country in northern Europe (the Scandinavian peninsula). The main factors contributing to the developing country’s economy are abundant waterpower, oil, peaceful labor relationships, and free market forces. The natural beauty attracted many tourists from all around the world. As stated by BBC News Norway has one of the highest standards of living globally. As far as media is concerned journalists are free and are not limited by censorship or any political pressure.
As mentioned by WPFI the media market is thriving, with the diverse private sector that includes publishing enterprises that ensure significant editorial independence. The public sector broadcaster NRK is a leader in the audiovisual market. The country has about 230 news organizations. In the past few years, online opinion journalism has become quite developing since the state supports independent journalism.
According to BBC News Norwegians are the most devoted newspaper readers and in the past years, there has been an increase in the number of subscriptions to online publications.
When it comes to the freedom framework in Norway, there is a strong legal system protecting journalists. The constitution provides freedom of expression as well as the privilege of public knowledge, which is protected by many additional legislations. The media sector follows a set code of ethics.
According to Freedom House article, the Transparency Law came into effect in July 2022, forcing corporations to assess their business activities and supply chains and comply with human rights duties. The law aims to keep firms from being engaged in economic oppression and human rights breaches. Another aim was to give consumers access to information about enterprises’ human rights impacts.
Norwegian media thrives in a politically favorable environment, as stated by WPFI. In general, Norwegian politicians avoid classifying negative coverage as “fake news” or even criticizing its creators. Members of the parliament and government officials refrain from approaching editorial boards of public sector publications.
According to an article by RSF regarding Norway and Poland’s freedom of expression, published on 03.2023 by Christophe Deloire. It was pointed out that Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, prompted by RSF, has placed the Polish state company “Polski Koncern Naftowy Orlen (PKN Orlen)” under three-year monitoring. One of the main reasons was concerns regarding press freedom of the PKN Orlen, since there was increased government influence over media in Poland (ranking 66th place as quoted by WPFI).
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Savina Tsvetkova is a senior at the American University in Bulgaria, pursuing a major in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance and minor in Marketing and Economics. Her biggest desire is to explore more of the Norwegian culture in person.
