Archive for April, 2011

What happened to the data from Retriever’s survey of 2009?

April 30, 2011
By admin
What happened to the data from Retriever’s survey of 2009?

Yesterday Kringkastningsrådet rejected Israel’s allegations of bias. The rejection was based on two surveys, one by an NRK team of analysts and one carried out by external analyst Cecilie Hellestveit. But whatever happened to the data from Retriever’s study of 2009, which identified a clear pro-Palestinian bias in NRK’s new coverage? The Retreiver survey...

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NRK broadcasts ‘Gaza’s Tears’

April 29, 2011
By admin
NRK broadcasts ‘Gaza’s Tears’

Yesterday NRK was acquitted of charges of anti-Israel bias. Only four days before, NRK had aired Vibeke Løkkeberg’s “Gaza’s Tears“. As the ambassador of Israel to Norway Michael Eligal points out above: “The film is an extremely one-sided production, figuring under the label of a documentary that without reservation is smearing Israel. Not a...

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Broad coverage of public hearing NRK vs. Israel

April 29, 2011
By admin
Broad coverage of public hearing NRK vs. Israel

Israel took NRK to Kringkastningsrådet for what Israel has identified as an ongoing journalistic failure. Kringkastningsrådet, which in part consists of government appointed apparatchiks, not only acquitted NRK of the charges, but lauded NRK for its fair and balanced coverage. This is receiving broad coverage in the media today. Here is a taste of...

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Transcript: The opinion of Cecilie Hellestveit

April 29, 2011
By admin

Yesterday Kringkastningrådet acquitted NRK of the charges of bias brought against it by the Israeli embassy. In fact, Kringkastningsrådet went so far as too congratulate NRK on the quality of its coverage of the Middle-East, which Israel regards as an “ongoing journalistic failure”. But does really the professional opinion of researcher Cecilie Hellestveit, whom...

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Survey: What do you think about NRK’s media coverage?

April 29, 2011
By admin

For what it’s worth, VG is running a poll on what the public thinks about NRK’s media coverage. The problem with this sort of survey is that is neither randomized nor proportional. This means that a certain segment of the population is going to be disproportionately well represented by the poll’s findings. Then again,...

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“Apart from the massive tumor, I’m healthy, right?”

April 29, 2011
By Kafka

The Broadcasting Council (consisting of members appointed both by the sitting cabinet and parliament) convened yesterday to hear more about the Israeli embassy’s accusation that the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) coverage of Israel is biased. Unsurprisingly, the NRK brass as well as the most-mentioned reporter, Sidsel Wold, rejected the accusation, though with some small...

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Jussi Hallo-Aho and the political wheel of life

April 28, 2011
By admin

Life is like a wheel. Sometimes you’re up, other times you are down. Tundra Tabloids reports that Jussi Hallo-Aho, once fined for having quoted the Koran (he selected the wrong quotes), now is head of Finnish immigration policy. So he was down, but now he’s up. This kind of thing can easily happen here...

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Public hearing: NRK rejects all charges of bias

April 28, 2011
By admin
Public hearing: NRK rejects all charges of bias

In a public hearing today Kringkastningsrådet (Broadcasting council) rejected Israel’s charges of NRK bias. This is a highly unfortunate turn of events. Israel had a strong case, and Cecilie Hellestveit presented some very poignant observations on NRK which Kringkastningsrådet seems to have almost completely disregarded. From Aftenposten: “NRK acquitted of Israel-charge” The embassy claims...

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Today: public hearing on Israel vs. NRK

April 28, 2011
By admin

Israel claims state broadcaster NRK’s coverage of the Middle East is an ongoing journalistic failure. Today NRK hosts a public hearing on the matter. For a few examples of what Israel’s case is based upon, see this post. Regarding the public hearing, it will be held on April 28th, room 7/8, starting 0930 as the...

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Has NRK reduced the Middle East to a black/white depiction of the Israel/Palestinian conflict?

April 27, 2011
By admin
Has NRK reduced the Middle East to a black/white depiction of the Israel/Palestinian conflict?

Israel claims state broadcaster NRK’s coverage of the Middle East is an ongoing journalistic failure. On April 28th NRK hosts a public hearing on the matter. Hopefully, the public hearing will deal with at least most of the issues listed in the letter above. For a few examples of what Israel’s case is based...

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Cecilie Hellestveit – will she cross the Palestine lobby?

April 27, 2011
By admin

Tomorrow Kringkastningsrådet (The broadcasting council) rules on Israel’s complaint to NRK. Middle-East researcher Cecilie Hellestveit has been hired to make an expert evaluation of the complaint. What can we expect from her? One the one hand, the jungle telegraph says Ms. Hellestveit is both balanced and knowledgeable on Middle-East issues. This might well be...

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Socialist politico partakes in Gaza-convoy, busses son to white school

April 27, 2011
By admin
Socialist politico partakes in Gaza-convoy, busses son to white school

It is fashionable among Norwegian politicos to demonstrate solidarity with the Palestinian cause. For Oslo-east however, they have no solidarity whatsoever. Politiko Akhtar Chaudhry (Socialist Left) is a first class example of this hypocrisy. While he aims to partake in the upcoming convoy to Gaza, in order to demonstrate solidarity with the Palestinian cause,...

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NRK’s fantastic euphemisms for Hamas and Hizballah

April 27, 2011
By Kafka

NRK is picking up on the fact that Syria is the current hotspot for the Arab tsunami, and has helpfully provided a Q&A page on the country. So far, so good. But the taxpayer-sponsored’s public service includes some interesting interpretations of certain Middle Eastern organizations: Syria has for decades supported groups and organizations that...

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Israel gets neutral mention in Dagsavisen

April 26, 2011
By admin

Israel gets quite a lot of coverage in the Norwegian media, and it’s rarely positive. Today Dagsavisen gives Israel a refreshingly neutral mention. The article “Entrepreneurship” is on the level of entrepreneurship, and the gender distribution of entrepreneurs, in Norway, the USA and Israel. No lambasting, no erroneous reporting, no exaggerations. Just a healthy...

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Trade Unions stick to guns of Palestinian cause

April 26, 2011
By admin
Trade Unions stick to guns of Palestinian cause

This year’s theme for May 1st, hazy and bloodstained as it is, will be the Palestinian cause. The ad above ran in today’s Dagsavisen. A full page ad like this costs something in the vicinity of NOK 30 000. But for mighty LO (trade union confederation), that’s small change of course. Read more about...

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PFU to Israel: Sorry, NRK is out of bounds

April 26, 2011
By admin
PFU to Israel: Sorry, NRK is out of bounds

Israel claims state broadcaster NRK’s coverage of the Middle East is an ongoing journalistic failure. On April 28th NRK hosts a public hearing on the matter. The reason NRK has to rule on itself in this matter? Well, as the letter above makes clear it’s out of bounds for the press media complaints division...

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Another successful Norwegian project: Supporting the Syrian police

April 26, 2011
By admin
Another successful Norwegian project: Supporting the Syrian police

During the cartoon wars in 2006, a government-sanctioned mob of Syrians burned down the Norwegian embassy in Damascus. Norway has been currying favor with Assad’s regime ever since. Some call this part of Norwegian foreign affairs an example of how Størean dialogue is carried out in practice. Wiser folk recognize it for what it...

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Tove-Lise Torve

April 25, 2011
By Kafka

Without a doubt, Tove-Lise Torve is an accomplished woman. She finished high school, has started several college programs in nursing and completed an internet program in municipal economics and organizational psychology. She was elected to this session of the Norwegian Parliament as number three on the Labour Party’s list from Møre og Romsdal (population:...

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NRK’s coverage of Israel: An on-going Journalistic failure caused by political bias?

April 25, 2011
By admin
NRK’s coverage of Israel: An on-going Journalistic failure caused by political bias?

Israel claims state broadcaster NRK’s coverage of the Middle East is an ongoing journalistic failure. On April 28th NRK hosts a public hearing on the matter. For a few examples of what Israel’s case is based upon, see this post. Regarding the public hearing, it will be held on April 28th, room 7/8, starting...

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Now Norwegians know what Khaybar means

April 25, 2011
By McGonagall
Now Norwegians know what Khaybar means

Norwegians who read Dagbladets book review of Halvor Tjønns book “Muhammed” will by now probably understand the extreme gravity of the placard in the 2009 Gaza demonstration that turned into a pogrom in Oslo. Several placards had the words Khaybar, Khaybar, ya yahoud, jaish Muhammad saufa ya’ud” painted on them. This means “Khaybar, Khaybar, oh Jews,...

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