Stavanger Aftenblad
CONSTITUTIONAL CELEBRATIONS,
COMPROMISED
TRANSPARENCY
Last year was the 200th anniversary of the Norwegian
Constitution, and yet again speeches were made about
the importance of openness, democracy and the freedom of speech. However, 2014 was also marked by the
discovery of serious and repeated violations of Norway’s
Freedom of Information Act.
Stavanger Aftenblad’s discovery of illegal confidentiality practices in municipalities in Rogaland county
triggered wider investigations, which revealed a problem
on a national scale. Aftenbladet’s investigation showed
that the chief executive of Stavanger local authority
rejected 99 per cent of citizens’ complaints made to the
authority. Officials always followed the chief executive’s
decisions, and neither the public nor the media were
granted access to documents or information relating to
these decisions.
In 2014, 118 articles were published under headlines
of transparency and freedom of information. Unlawful
practice was unveiled in three cases, and further enquiries led to discoveries of similar practice in 106 of the
140 local authorities approached. In the process, experts
examined hundreds of complaints, and surveyed leading
local politicians.
Lars Helle
Editor-in-chief
RIPPLE EFFECT
The articles published last year, had a ripple effect that
extended far beyond the first local council office investigated. The initial discoveries stopped a whistle-blower from
being reprimanded and another from losing his job. They
also provoked the mass-publication of documents that
until then, had been kept unlawfully secret. Furthermore,
groups of citizens whose rights have been infringed are
planning to take legal action – something that they never
would have considered. Some sixty local authorities are
reviewing their routines and taking steps to ensure that
they conform with the law.
These cases are a timely reminder of the relevance
of investigative journalism; of the media as an important
factor in the balance of power – locally as well as nationally – and how this critical freedom needs to be exercised, perhaps especially in areas of society where rights
and freedoms are taken for granted.
KEY GOALS AND CHALLENGES FOR 2015
Despite downsizing staff numbers overall, Stavanger
Aftenblad has already strengthened its group of investigative reporters this year.
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We also believe that 2015 will be a year of content – content
in a modern, digital package. It will also be a year of more
immediate news exchange, involving users and newsroom
staff in new ways of distributing local news and information.
Web TV will be an increasingly important element of content generation, with the smartphone being the preferred
device among our users. So 2015 will be a year of content,
but content made for mobile devices.
2015 will be a year
of content – content
made for mobile.
Lars Helle, Editor-in-chief of Stavanger Aftenblad, belives th at 2015
will be a year of content – in a modern, digital package.