Mikal Hem, acting news editor of Forsvarets forum, accuses the Norwegian Armed Forces’ communications staff of preventing personnel from speaking independently to journalists. Conscripts interviewed for a bachelor’s thesis reported that superiors attended interviews, instructed them beforehand to represent their units positively and participated in checking their quotations. Other conscripts were allegedly reprimanded or warned about future consequences after speaking to the press. Although military leaders insist that personnel may speak freely, Hem argues that they repeatedly deny documented attempts to control communication.

“Wiik-Hansen’s post in Journalisten is symptomatic of the answers we get: denial that the problems exist.”

Read the entire commentary in Forsvarets forum.