– Is there room for a local Skup Prize, asks Amedia's new excavation manager

Just before Christmas it became clear Eric Sonstyle He resigned from his position as editor-in-chief at Oppland Arbeiderblad, and a newly created position as prospecting director at Amedia.

Sønstelie will coordinate, prioritize and lead investigative journalism projects. He will also be responsible for developing the journalistic competence of journalists at Amedia Media House.

She wanted the initiative

After only two weeks on the job, Sonstyle is already processing applications for the burial fund that will be used to promote investigative journalism at local newspapers.

– Investing in investigative journalism in such difficult times that the industry is currently going through is a very great thing, he tells Journalisten.

The backdrop to Sonstyle's appointment and growing focus on serious journalism is a tangible initiative from Amedia's eight editors. Last fall, they arrived at a desire to make a more focused investment in investigative journalism, Sonstyle says.

But why does Amedia need this investment, and at least why does it need a prospecting manager?

– Because there are many stories to be told. Because we will dig more, and we will dig better. Our newspapers in communities small and large are not just the glue of the community. He says they must also be present when exercising power, see consequences, and highlight mistakes and wrongdoing committed.

Against the flow of information

Sonstyle believes that strong, independent, local, editor-controlled media across the country have perhaps never been more important than they are now – as part of society's democratic safety net.

He says the ability to discover issues that matter to local communities and regions is part of showing the difference between editor-controlled media and the rest of the information flow with which we surround ourselves.

Sonsteli says there is already a lot of good excavation going on around Amdea, but he believes that focusing more on the important stories will have more to say in the future.

-There are stories waiting for us. For me, it will be important to organize and coordinate, but it will also be important to actively help with projects.

Three million kroner

One tool is the drilling fund – worth three million Norwegian kroner – from which responsible editors in the group can apply for funds. There may be funds for temporary workers, technical assistance, or other costs that cannot be prioritized in day-to-day operations.

Sønstelie will also be responsible for supporting the media's role in developing journalistic competence.

– The mission will be to help homes build efficiency plans, and assist human resources in building new efficiency programs. At the same time, we will produce more spearheads who are good at drilling and master the methods of doing it efficiently and well.

Sonstyle says Amedia is the best in the world at delivering daily news to local people. Digging takes time, and sometimes experience in collecting, washing and assembling data is also needed.

-And we can look at more possibilities that exist with programming. Now we don't want to become world champions at this, but we know the possibilities and we can get help with this if necessary.

– How will you do that then?

– Just like you did at Shipstead. It's of course something I learned along the way, but we've done well when we've created masterclasses for both reporting managers, middle managers, and debaters.

Sonstyle was President of the Academy of Journalism at Shipsted before becoming editor of the OA.

You will benefit from Amedia's size

Many applications for funding have already been submitted to Amedia editors, and it doesn't matter if you're big or small, from the North or the South, says Sonsteli.

– There are some guidelines based on which we choose projects. We are a small group, and then we form a council. It is important to listen to the needs among editors.

However, in the early days, it was mostly about keeping your ear to the ground, says Sonstyle, who now travels a lot and talks to editors about what's needed. He says that beyond the money that can be applied for directly, efficiency should be prioritized for the future.

– It's a bit about taking advantage of the fact that there are too many newspapers. Having one hundred and six newspapers across the country means we have a larger presence across the country than other newsrooms. It's an enticing potential to see if we can make better use of it than we have today.

Scoop Discussion

Sonsteli says that Amedia having a so-called strength of correspondents across the country is unique, as media houses such as VG and Dagbladet no longer have branch offices there.

He says one of Amedia's strengths is the culture of sharing and encouraging each other. If they get better at dealing with the untold stories of local communities, they should be able to assert themselves more forcefully when regional awards are handed out, Sonsteli continues:

– And then I think we should continue to increase the number of method reports to Skup.

Amedia received criticism a few years ago for reporting too little to Scoop, and Sonstyle believes it is sometimes unfair to compare local newspapers to large national newspapers.

– Skup has been, and will continue to be, the best that Norwegian journalism has to offer, not least through new methods. Local newspapers supply the best grocery store with important local items. This does not mean that we do not have material to assert ourselves in the context of Skup, but it will not be the case that the largest media houses with the largest digging resources do. I don't think the measure of a local newspaper's success is whether it can report to Skup.

Sonstyle says there has been debate for several years about whether Scoop should receive an award for smaller, local newspapers. He admits there are many awards, but receiving one is a big boost for a local newspaper.

– It means a lot to the internal culture and desire for development. And if you think about the reader market, your readers will definitely notice if you reach out to them and get the price. So maybe it's time to bring up this debate again? Is there room for the local Skup price, asks Sønstelie.