In the last episode of the podcast “Tore og Harald’s podcast”, Harald Eia (58) directs strong criticism towards Dagsrevyen and NRK, after a segment broadcast on 10 February.
It writes Media 24.
The feature was broadcast after Lillebjørn Nilsen died, and Eia chooses to call it “a media scandal”.
In the feature, the artists Frida Ånnevik, Odd Nordstoga, Tuva Syvertsen and Emilie Christensen sing the song “Good night, Oslo”. In addition, the Broadcasting Orchestra, the Dementia Choir and a school class also take part.
Constructed
Eia himself points out in the podcast that he is both a Lillebjørn Nilsen fan and likes the feature, but responds that it is a feature made by NRK itself. Eia also says that he has received confirmation that the artists have been paid to perform.
– This is not news. This has been constructed by NRK. It is as if Sidsel Vold had hired Palestinian musicians to sing old Jewish songs in the West Bank, says Eia in the podcast.
The 58-year-old believes the feature is a breach of the Vær Varsom poster’s 3.11 about paid sources, because the artists also talk about their relationship with Nilsen in the feature.
Point 3.11 of the Be Careful poster states that “as a general rule, the press shall not pay sources and interviewees for information”.
– They are interviewed for a fee. These are reputable sources, says Eia.
This is what NRK says
The editor-in-chief of Dagsrevyen, Hanne Thorsen, writes in a reply to M24 that the feature is not a news story, but a tribute to Lillebjørn Nilsen.
– We make the viewers aware that it is we who have invited the artists in the introduction. It is true that we have paid the artists a standard fee for the musical work they have contributed. In addition, they come with a short comment about what Lillebjørn has meant to them.
Also read: Åse Kleveland pays tribute to the late Lillebjørn Nilsen: – Live on
To The daily newspaper rejects editor Knut Magnus Berge in NRK Nyheter kritikken. He believes that it is quite obvious that this was not a traditional news item, and points out that it was said in the introduction that the artists were invited.
– They do a job for us, for which they receive a standard fee, and I think that must be perfectly fine. I don’t think anyone thought that this was anything other than what we introduced it as, he says to Dagbladet.
Berge himself tells Dagbladet that he believes the feature is completely unproblematic.
– I think it was fairly obvious what this was, and I think the viewers appreciated it. We think it turned out very well.