Few are as needy of speech and writing here in the kingdom as Trygve Hegnar. Now it suddenly became quiet.
Many have noticed it:
The very well-written editor-in-chief and owner of Finansavisen og Kapital, Trygve Hegnar, is also chairman of the board of Hurtigruten.
And about the Hurtigruten scandal, there is silence in the two publications. The journal Campaign writes today about Finansavisen’s minimal Hurtigruten coverage.
At the same time, they wonder if Hegnar’s double role can be blamed for the striking silence.
Of course it has.
Trygve Hegnar and his company Periscopus were one of the few Norwegian owners left when the British private equity firm TDR Capital took over Hurtigruten six years ago. Hotel and tourism king Petter Stordalen was the other.
The foreign owners certainly needed Norwegian continuity, and with five percent continued ownership, Trygve Hegnar became chairman of the board. We must assume that he has been absolutely central in the appointment of the now insulted Hurtigruten boss Daniel Skjeldam.
Then you can of course turn it around: It would have worked out if the chairman of the board Hegnar now fell on his back and took him to a commentary place in Finansavisen …
Also read: What does Hurtigruten not understand?
At the same time, the silence illustrates why the media usually make very strict demands on their own impartiality, and thus credibility among readers.
Secretary General Arne Jensen of the Norwegian Editors’ Association is admittedly very cautious, and says to Kampanje that “it is nice and necessary that there is both discussion and openness about such double roles”.
Gunnar Bodahl-Johansen goes a little further, and says that in his time in the Press’ professional committee (PFU) he often received complaints from people who were not sure what interests Trygve Hegnar represented when they were in contact with him.
Now there is no one but the readers who can ultimately assess Trygve Hegnar’s impartiality or Finansavisen’s credibility. And in a way, it is positive that Hegnar is now quiet.
Read more comments by Erik Stephansen
It would have been worse for the press ethics if Finansavisen or Kapital now went out to report and comment and told how fantastic Hurtigruten had coped with the corona crisis or how driving Daniel Skjeldam is.
Silence can be telling enough, so Hegnar is probably aware of the problem.
“Nothing is as quiet as snow,” it is said. I have seen it paraphrased by evil souls to “Nothing is as quiet as a dead Bergen man”, but we will leave that here.
Now the twist “Nothing is as quiet as a silent Trygve Hegnar” almost gives itself.
Also read: The icon fades – minute by minute
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