Free speech in the work place

January 11 2022

How easy or hard is it to express opinions at work? And how do employers handle it when employees take advantage of their freedom of expression or become whistle blowers?

As part of the Fritt Ord Foundation’s monitoring project on the status of freedom of expression in Norway, Fafo carried out a research project entitled “Free speech and whistleblowing seen from an employer’s perspective”, which is scheduled for completion in 2022.

In the autumn of 2021, a survey was conducted among Norwegian employees. They were asked how much latitude employees should have to express opinions publicly, and how much latitude they actually have. The results of the survey have been summarised in this report, which can be found here on the Fafo website.

On 30 November 2021, along with Fafo, Fritt Ord organised a presentation of the survey’s findings, followed by a panel discusion featuring Vidar Strømme, director of the Norwegian Institute for Human Rights, Kurt Weltzien, attorney at the Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry, and Solfrid Vaage Haukaas, attorney for the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities, in addition to the chair of the Freedom of Expression Commission, Kjersti Løken Stavrum, and Tormod Tingstad, who was in the middle of the the worst case of corruption in the history of Norway and is currently a defence attorney in cases involving white collar crime.
A recording of the event is available for viewing here (in Norwegian only):

News

Refuse to be silenced. Free Media Awards handed out in Oslo

September 17 2024

We refuse to be silenced.
That was the common message when six media outlets, journalists, and editors from Georgia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus received the Free Media Awards 2024 on September 17 at the Nobel Institute in Oslo.
– Threatening, attacking, kidnapping, and murdering journalists has become a war tactic, said documentary filmmaker Tonje Hessen Schei in her speech to the prize winners.

Fritt Ord's grants for master’s degrees

September 9 2024

Is your master’s project about freedom of expression, social debate or journalism? If so, you can apply for a student grant from the Fritt Ord Foundation.

The History of History – graphic novels can shed light on history in new ways

September 9 2024

Graphic novels that address historical topics was this year’s focus among the 144 public libraries that responded to the Fritt Ord Foundation’s call for applications from libraries for 2024, "The History of History».
According to graphic art creators as well as librarians, graphic novels can recount history in new ways to new groups of readers. Forty-four libraries have been granted MNOK 2.6 to organise meetings on nonfictional prose, fiction and graphic novels. This is the largest amount since the calls for applications from libraries began in 2008.

How to talk about racism?

August 28 2024

Debate seminar at the Fritt Ord Foundation premises, Uranienborgveien 2, from 6-7.30 p.m. on Monday, 9 September