3 media reprimanded for Sex statements

Kristian Eilertsen PFU Progress PartyKristian Eilertsen is a Progress Party (FrP) politician from Harstad. Photo: Private blogg

3 newspapers found guilty by PFU for Sex statements

PFU believes that iTromsø, Dagsavisen and Harstad Tidende have violated good press coverage in their writing surrounding sexual harassment allegations against former Progress Party Youth (FpU) Deputy Leader, Kristian Eilertsen.

 

The cases ended with that Eilertsen received a warning from the Progress Party’s organisation committee, without being deprived of office nor imposed with other sanctions.

Eilertsen reacted to the coverage of the matter in iTromsø, Harstad Tidende and Dagsavisen, and complained against several articles to the Norwegian Press Professional Committee (PFU).

PFU concludes that all three newspapers have violated the ‘Act Carefully’ (Vær Varsom) poster’s § 3.2, according to the web site Medier24. The point regards checking whether the information is correct and to strive for breadth and relevance in the selection of sources.

iTromsø was complained about for nine issues. In four of those, the newspaper wrote that they had made several attempts to contact Eilertsen, but did not refer his replies promptly.

Breadth of sources

The committee statement reads:

The committee emphasises that the complainant’s view did not appear in some of the articles, despite the fact that the allegations and attacks against him were very fierce. The PFU believes that the newspaper could have shown to the complainant’s previous responses in these cases, in order to ensure the breadth of sources, cf. § 3.2

In Dagsavisen there was a factual error in a commentary article that led to the verdict. All three newspapers refute breach of good press practice in their responses to PFU prior to their assessment.

Kristian Eilertsen is currently both a municipal and county council member for the Progress Party (Frp) in Harstad and Troms.

 

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