In September, Norway’s media industry launched a joint campaign to raise awareness among 18-30-year-olds about the value of trustworthy, fact-based journalism. The campaign encourages critical thinking in a media landscape shaped by social platforms and an increasing volume of disinformation.
The campaign backdrop is a growing trend where more people – especially the younger generations – turn to social media for news and information. The media industry sees an urgent need to increase awareness of where news originates.
“Credible and truth-seeking journalism is more important than ever. The mission of editor-guided media is to fact-check, apply source criticism, and give space to diverse voices. Through a lighthearted campaign, we want to highlight why this matters,” said Elin Floberghagen, Secretary General of the Norwegian Press Association, in a press release.
The campaign is initiated and led by the Norwegian Press Association in collaboration with the Norwegian Editors’ Association, the Norwegian Union of Journalists, the Norwegian Media Businesses’ Association, and the Norwegian Specialized Press Association. It is supported by the Amedia Foundation and Kopinor.
The campaign
Through videos, radio spots, and advertisements, the campaign follows a young couple who have just gotten a dog. But something seems off about the “dog.” The films illustrate how disinformation works: you can be convinced of something false when someone you trust insists it’s true. Even with the best intentions, you may end up spreading information that isn’t accurate.
It’s easy to be fooled – and wise to be a little critical.
Campaign background
The campaign’s steering group includes representatives from the Norwegian Press Association, the Norwegian Editors’ Association, the Norwegian Union of Journalists, the Norwegian Specialized Press Association, and the Norwegian Media Businesses’ Association. NRK is producing the campaign materials, and the Norwegian Press Association, represented by Secretary General Elin Floberghagen, owns the campaign.
The campaign is designed to be inclusive and resonate with the target audience, using humor and lightness as key tools. All Norwegian editor-guided media are invited to use the campaign materials across their own and external platforms—film, audio, ads, and social media. The campaign is also promoted on TikTok, YouTube, and Snapchat.
The goal is to reach 70 percent of the target group over an eight to twelve-week period. The campaign launched on September 3.
It is funded by the press organizations, with support from the Amedia Foundation and Kopinor.
WEXFO applauds the initiative
WEXFO Director Kristenn Einarsson commends the campaign:
“Disinformation is a serious threat to freedom of expression and democracy. We applaud this initiative, where both industry actors and sponsors behind the campaign are shareholders and contributors to WEXFO. Once the campaign is completed and evaluated, we hope it can inspire similar efforts in other countries.”
Campaign materials and more information are available here: https://ung.presse.no/
Photo: Screenshot from the campaign website (Norwegian Press Association/ung.presse.no)
