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a Editorial

Solidarity

How often do we hear this word? We have to show solidai'ity toward people in need, toward the poor,
toward the less developed. Recently in the Norwegian press the case of non-reporting on the riots in
Sweden in December 2008 was also put into tl'ffs context. The editors of the main media-radio, TV
and the press-wanted to show solidarity towards their neighbours and not reflect them iii a bad
light, so, they decided sii'nply not to talk about it at all.

What has happened to freedom of expression, and where is freedom of the press? What kind of solidai'ity are we talking about? "Today
there is nothing caned freedom of the press," a colleague said. "The editors are the ones who decide. As if this were not enough, we
are completely dependent on our owners and the adveitisers. So it is an illusion to believe in a free and independent press."
When the fu'iancial crisis broke orit over a year ago, goveininents rescried banks and financial institutions with tremendous inprits of
money, increasing national debt to a point that made econoinists extremely alai'ined. A breakdown in inteinational finaiicial markets
would be a disaster-nobody has any doribt about that. However, the result of the present crisis is that, to cover these rescue
packages, some corinti'ies in Europe have boi'rowed so much money that public debt has gone up to 70, 80 or even 90% of the gross
national/domestic product, placing a tremendous burden on tax payers, not to mention futiire generations. George Bemard Shaw once
wrote cynically: "A goveinment which robs Peter to pay Paril can always depend on the suppoit of Paul."

With the economic tui'moil, many jorimalist colleagues have lost their jobs, and it is getting harder and harder to publish articles aborit
serious topics. Soine media groups, although they are not too badly hit, continrie to lay off people, taking advantage of tlie situation.
What kind of solidarity do they show?
The rich are always cleverer at finding all kinds of measures to avoid paying taxes. What is happening to solidai'ity? It is a well-known
fact, a foi'mer leader of Noi'wegian humanitarian organization once said, that it's always the poor who are most generous-not the i'ich.
"What we are observii'ig is quite alarming," my colleague continried. The poprilar press and scandals are taking over the media,
whereas serious topics receive scant attention. We are heading towards a society consistiiig of those who are well infonned and those
who aren't. But those who are sittii'ig on the information are also those who control the world and prin the stings. One can always object
that it has always been like this throughout istoi'y. The educated elite has the infoi'mation and hence the power. But there are still large
sections of the population who are not educated and don't seem to care-but are addicted to "reality" TV and reading about scandal
in high places. The only solution seems to be more and better education, but people are then always complaining aborit the qriality of
schools.

So, one can only wonder-solidarity, freedom of expression, freedom of the press. Have all these so chei'ished ideals become siinple
clich6s in the world in which we are living?
On these thoughts I wish you a wonderful day.

Marit.