“In Schibsted and the Tinius Trust we are convinced that journalism is a fundamental force for democracy. We are enthusiastic about the power of digital storytelling, the impact of deep investigations and tools enabling the reader to have an ever more immersive experience”, says Torry Pedersen, Chairman of Schibsted’s Media Houses in Norway and former publisher of VG.
“As any journalist would know her most fundamental obligation is to the truth. Truth not understood like a law of science, but as verifiable facts presented in a meaningful context. With the aim to facilitate debate and eventually reach good decisions.
The Power of Journalism is a new open arena to share, discuss, learn and talk about what we care about: the future of journalism. Together with peers in our industry, as none of us have all the answers to the challenges. Together we have to strive to reestablish trust – this little word with such a far-reaching meaning.
The craft of journalism can only win approval through our ability to ask critical questions, exposing counterarguments, relentlessly checking facts and presenting the findings in a context which appears both comprehensive and proportional. At it’s best journalism helps citizens navigate society.
Empower the informed
Journalism is there to shed light on what someone wants to keep in the dark, to challenge postulates from those given or seeking power, to inform the citizens about whether the management of our common resources are good or bad, or to put it precisely: to empower the informed.
To upheld our ability to fulfil this honorable goal we must be aware the importance of breadth and depth in our reporting, and consciously expose stories which is evaluated also by other criteria than popularity and likes. We must expose reality more than reality shows.
And we must be even more aware of the need to report preciselyThe more informed the citizens are the better decisions we can reach, the more exposed mismanagement and abuse of power are, the more the unspoken are given a voice, the more we showcase the conditions for the weakest, the better the democracy.”
Torry Pedersen, Chairman of Schibsted’s Media Houses in Norway and former publisher of VG.