Reactions to Newspapers Click-Payment

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Dagbladet pays columnists according to how many pageviews they receive. This can distort and affect the public dialogue, the Federation of Norwegian Journalist (NJ) warns.

– That so-called ‘Pink Blogs’ are sponsored and paid for by the number of clicks is well known.

But that a newspaper such as Dagbladet offers such a framework for its columnists does not bode well for independent commentary journalism, says social debater Shabana Rehman Gaarder to Klassekampen. She is supported by NJ leader, Hege Iren Frantzen.

– It’s a pity if it’s going to be that the one who shouts the loudest and uses the strongest words is the only one to be heard, she says.

Dagbladet replies that there is no reason why the newspaper’s columnists take more extreme stances to get better paid.

Responsible for Dagbladet’s commitment to columnists, Anders Holth Johansen, says the newspaper still demands seriousness and accountability.

– Our columnists often deliver long, serious texts that needs longer reading time than the average for our online articles, says Johansen.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today