A well-functioning democracy requires that citizens are connected to and can participate in the public sphere, and that their opinion formation processes are free. This entails that citizens have the freedom and opportunity to express themselves and to access information, and that the press has freedom and capacity to fulfill its societal role. Free editorial media that provide journalism of public value and reflect a diversity of perspectives and public debate across society are central to the functioning of democracy. They are essential to freedom of expression and democratic resilience.

The objectives of the government’s media policy are therefore to facilitate an open and enlightened public discourse, safeguard freedom of expression, and strengthen democratic resilience. A diversity of free and stable editorial media is central to achieving these media policy objectives.

Both economic measures (such as media support schemes) and regulatory measures (such as clear allocation of responsibility and editorial independence) contribute to achieving the goals of diversity and quality in Norwegian editorial media. To increase predictability regarding the framework conditions for the media and to support media independence, the authorities determine fixed, long-term financial frameworks for direct grant schemes for media support and NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation) for four-year periods. It is an objective that media support should be predictable, non-bureaucratic, and maintained at the greatest possible distance from political authorities.

The Norwegian Media Authority (Medietilsynet) administers the Ministry’s grant schemes within the media sector.

Media support consists of the following schemes:

  • Production grant for news and current affairs media
  • Production grant for Sámi news and current affairs media
  • Innovation and development grants
  • Grants for local audiovisual media

In addition to the Ministry’s grant schemes, newspapers - including digital newspapers - that primarily consist of text and still images are exempt from value-added tax (VAT). The Ministry of Finance is responsible for the VAT framework.