TV 2 is present even when war rages
As Norway’s only commercial public service broadcaster, TV 2 has a great social responsibility. The media house takes on this responsibility when journalists and photographers are needed on the front lines of war and among civilians in Ukraine and the Middle East.
TV 2 has covered the war in Ukraine since it broke out in 2022, and with its strong and insistent documentation of the crimes of war, it reminds the Norwegian people that the war is still raging just short flight ride away.
TV 2 is also present in the Middle East covering the consequences of the war between Israel and Hamas. Putting their lives on the line, TV 2’s foreign correspondents report directly from the war zones to inform, engage and create understanding in Norwegian homes.
“TV 2 is and must be an important societal player in Norway. We have a social responsibility that makes me willing to take the risks that I do. What drives me is informing people and trying to understand the situation myself in order to communicate understanding,” says foreign correspondent Bent Skjærstad, who has covered the war in Ukraine since it began and also been deployed to the war in Syria and the war between Israel and Hamas.
With the rise of propaganda and social media, it is more important than ever that editor-led media outlets like TV 2 are present to ensure balanced coverage and to make sure that the truth, to the extent possible, comes out.
That is why TV 2’s foreign affairs department is constantly making editorial decisions on how to ensure the most balanced war coverage:
Bent Skjærstad continues: "and you have to be there in order to be able to determine the truth value of both sides. In this way, we make sure that people see both sides of the conflict,” says Bent Skjærstad.
TV 2 continues to cover the many consequences for civilians wherever needed in the world.