Norwegian media criticized for downplaying past contact with Hamas

A commentary piece argues that Norwegian media, particularly Aftenposten, failed to adequately report on Norway's 2021 meeting with Hamas, despite the organization's subsequent actions.

Commentator Torkel Brekke, writing for the think tank Civita, uses the ironic headline "Alarm! They are not writing about it!" to critique Aftenposten's commentary, which defended the media's decision not to cover the meeting. Brekke contends that established news organizations frequently filter out important stories, a practice that fuels public distrust and has contributed to "mainstream media" becoming a pejorative term.

The article points to Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre's initial reluctance to label Hamas a "terrorist organization" immediately after the October 7 attacks. It notes that Støre's wording evolved only after pressure from other political parties. Brekke also highlights that the government prevented King Harald from offering condolences to Israel following the attacks, despite his having done so after terrorist incidents in other countries.

Brekke observes that a state secretary later admitted this handling would have been different today. This admission, he notes, came about through a podcast hosted by Henrik Beckheim, the same podcaster Hegtun had criticized. Brekke finds irony in the fact that this smaller media figure prompted a significant government acknowledgment that larger media outlets had missed or downplayed.

Ultimately, Brekke suggests that Hegtun's own point, that "there are an unbelievable number of events and meetings that are never mentioned in Aftenposten and other newspapers", is more accurate than Hegtun himself seems to realize. The piece concludes by suggesting that the condescending tone often adopted by mainstream media towards its critics alienates the public and reinforces perceptions of bias.

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It is unbelievable how many events and meetings that are never mentioned in Aftenposten and other newspapers.