Category: News

Despite the 2016 peace accord with the FARC, once Latin America’s largest guerrilla group, there are still violent clashes. As late as last week (28 May), Colombian troops killed 11 dissidents of the disbanded FARC guerrilla group. Roy Krøvel’s article from November last year is still highly relevant. Read it here (sorry – in Norwegian!)… Continue reading Embers of Colombia’s 50-year-old conflict are still burning

We are happy to announce that we have received 200 000 NOK from UNESCO, towards arranging a new conference on the topic of security for journalists. This year the focus will be on self-sensorship due to threaths and violence against journalists. More information, and call for papers will be shortly due.

“The death of these Afghan journalists covering a suicide attack underlines the fact that we need to discard the outdated idea of heroic “foreign” correspondents reporting about distant wars. News from conflict zones – even for international news organizations – is increasingly produced by local journalists, ” writes Saumava Mitra and MEKK-member Marte Høiby in… Continue reading An important read on World Press Freedom Day

Journalism as resistance and source of power was the starting point for a conversation between historians and journalist Hans Fredrik Dahl and MEKK-member, journalist and historian Bjørn Westlie, when they met to discuss the Norwegian press during the Second World War, yesterday at the National Library. In the afternoon of Tuesday, April 9, 1940, less than… Continue reading Norwegian Press during Second World War

In a recent article in Klassekampen, Professor Emeritus, Rune Ottosen questions why the media takes such an uncritical stance towards Norway´s participation in the war in Syria, especially with regards to violation of International Law. Ottosen draws parallels to the war in Afghanistan, where Norway also participated; lives were lost, and millions of dollars spent,… Continue reading Critic of Norwegian Media´s coverage of Syria

Marte Høiby joins the IAWRT Board as a deputy member as Kristin Skare Orgeret steps off the Board after two years. Heidi Røsok Dahl continues as a board member. MEKK collaborates with IAWRT on issues of safety of journalists, women in the media and freedom of speech.

Live from Professor Rune Ottosen in Kampala: “The last few days I had the pleasure of teaching master students at Makerere University in Kampala on my favourite subject War and Peace journalism. The students are well informed and interested in the subject. We have interesting discussion. They are engaged and ask me provocative questions. More… Continue reading MEKK’s Prof. Rune Ottosen in Kampala

  Bruce Mutsvairo, editor of the Palgrave Handbook of Media and Communication Research in Africa, opened the ‘Researching Africa’ seminar at Oslo Metropolitan University the 22 February. Vice rector Morten Irgens and Research Director Kristin Sverdrup wished welcome to the seminar, which marked the start of the OsloMet Africa Network. Phd candidate Gerald Walulya from… Continue reading Book launch at “Researching Africa” seminar

This was just one of the safety issues that was discussed in the three day security course: Safety for journalists in hostile environments, that took place in Tunisia last week. Such coverage is still highly relevant to the context in which Tunisian journalists find themselves in, as demonstrations continue to take place seven years after… Continue reading How can Tunisian journalists safely cover demonstrations?

Quatrina Hosain (Pakistan), Nil Mutluer (Turkey/ Germany), Elisabeth Eide and Kristin Skare Orgeret (both Norway, JMIC and MEKK) met in Beirut from January 18 to 21, to discuss the forthcoming anthology Media Dialogues: Transnational Journalistic Enounters. The anthology contains contributions from scholars and journalists in the following countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Norway, Pakistan,… Continue reading Media Dialogues – Editorial Meeting in Beirut