Freedom of expression and notification about censurable conditions - where do we draw the line between critical statements and raising concerns?

November 18 2021

The Fritt Ord Foundation and Fafo invite the public to the presentation of new research findings and a debate from 10-11.30 a.m. on Tuesday, 30 November. The event will take place at the Fritt Ord Foundation’s premises at Uranienborgveien 2, in Oslo.

Tormod Tingstad and Kjersti Løken Stavrum
Meet Tormod Tingstad, who was at the very heart of the biggest corruption case in Norwegian history and is now a defence attorney in white collar crime cases, and Kjersti Løken Stavrum, chair of the Freedom of Expression Commission.

This event is open to the public.

We will hear input and comments from Vidar Strømme, a senior adviser at the Norwegian National Human Rights Institution, Kurt Weltzien, an attorney for the Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry, and Solfrid Vaage Haukaas, an attorney for the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities.

Sissel Trygstad will present new research findings and Anne Mette Ødegaard will be the moderator; both are researchers at Fafo. Welcome by Grethe Brochmann, chair of the Fritt Ord Foundation Board.

News

Call for nominations: Free Media Awards 2025

March 14 2025

In collaboration with the ZEIT STIFTUNG BUCERIUS of Hamburg, the Fritt Ord Foundation has allocated the Free Media Awards annually since 2004 to Eastern European journalists and media that defy every obstacle to tirelessly ensure independent press coverage. Russia’s war against Ukraine and the subsequent wave of disinformation clearly demonstrates the need for independent reporting in the region. Journalist, editorial teams and media companies in and from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Russia, Ukraine and Hungary who make a contribution to press freedom through their investigative, independent reporting can be nominated for the Free Media Awards.

Civitates' Tech & Democracy open call

March 6 2025

Civitates – The European Democracy Fund is a pooled philanthropic fund that was set up in 2018 for the sole purpose of addressing democratic decline and closing civic space in Europe. The case for confronting these threats is growing increasingly urgent. Fritt Ord Foundation is one of the initiators and partners of Civitates.

Civitates has launched its Tech and Democracy open call to support organisations working to ensure safer, more inclusive online spaces (social media platforms, search engines etc.) by improving the enforcement of EU tech regulations at the national level.

This open call offers a unique opportunity to strengthen civil society’s role in holding the tech sector accountable, with a focus on key EU regulations such as the Digital Services Act, GDPR, AI Act or the European Media Freedom Act to name a few.

Norwegians increasingly more positive to computer games

March 5 2025

Norwegians are increasingly more positive to accepting computer games as culture

About 17 per cent have developed a more favourable view of computer games over the past year. Six of ten play computer games, and one of three plays computer games weekly. At the same time, computer games are ranked as having lower status than books and music, for example.
“Computer games deserve more attention and discussion”, contends Joakim Lie of Fritt Ord.

– Computer games are also art

March 4 2025

“The problem with far too many media reports about computer games is that they start begin with sentences like: ‘computer games have come a long way since Pac-Man’,” sighs American computer game critic Jacob Geller.

“Let us first simply agree that computer games are indeed an art form and an expression of culture, and then let us examine the works as part of the history of art and culture.