Aug22136 Leading Online Journalist Magazine 2023 Launched in 2017 by Ka Man Mak, The Oslo Desk is an online journalism magazine focused on empowering voices that are often absent in the mainstream media. It strives to make an impact by using its magazine and podcast channel as platforms for the voices of immigrants and minorities. As well as this, it has launched an initiative to train a new generation of community reporters and has collaborated with partners to build spaces in which knowledge can be exchanged. In Norway, media representation of minorities is problematic and fails to reflect the country’s multicultural society. In 2018, a study of 12,000 articles found that only 2% referred to sources who were persons with a minority background. The country’s media outlets are controlled by a small number of powerful media groups and very few mainstream Norwegian journalists are minorities or immigrants. Those who own the media possess the narrative power to influence the attitudes of the public and choose whose voices matter. The Oslo Desk was founded by Ka Man Mak, who leverages distinct journalistic practices to transform the way in which racialised immigrant communities are portrayed in the Norwegian media, driving a more accurate and complete representation. The organisation’s goal is to remove barriers for people of colour and immigrants, enabling them to access media channels and tell their stories. It strives to use media storytelling and journalistic methods to create a world in which everyone can find a sense of belonging, peace, and fulfilment. The Oslo Desk began as a local movement, advocating for inclusive voices in the media and supporting immigrant journalists. It is the first English-language newsroom dedicated to driving diversity into the media with a particular emphasis on constructive journalism. This journalistic technique focuses on exploring possible solutions to systematic problems. The Oslo Desk works to maintain the highest level of accuracy and truth by understanding the importance of racial equity. It also aims to help global citizens navigate their migration journeys. May23540 Based in Norway, The Oslo Desk’s mission is predominantly grounded in the city of Oslo, home to the country’s largest immigrant population. Its staff, volunteers, and partners are all internationals or Norwegians with a minority background. However, the organisation strives to extend its mission worldwide. So far, its stories have been republished on The Rappler in the Philippines and its photos have been used by CNN. This demonstrates that the magazine is beginning to reach a global audience. Currently, The Oslo Desk is supported by funding grants for projects, B2B sponsorships, and a subscription model on Buy Me A Coffee. The magazine’s content is produced by a small team of creators and journalists. Depending on the organisation’s available funds, the team has worked on both a voluntary and a paid basis. Most of the time, Ka Man runs the stories herself or with one or two assistants. The Oslo Desk utilises unique methodology in its stories, incorporating approaches from trauma psychology, systems thinking, peace journalism, constructive journalism, intersectionality, inclusive storytelling, and the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) lens. With very little accurate information about immigrants in Norway, the organisation creates value by providing media representation, collective storytelling, and healing in its stories. There are many factors that make The Oslo Desk unique. Firstly, it delivers original, indepth investigation of topics that affect Norway’s underrepresented populations. Secondly, it is trauma-informed and trained, which means it can be trusted to report on stories that mainstream media cannot properly handle. Thirdly, The Oslo Desk uses its own unique framework to ensure that its stories treat marginalised people with the dignity they deserve. Lastly, the organisation has interviewed immigrants for almost 100% of its articles. The Oslo Desk has recently completed major podcast productions with two NGOs, Human for Humans and Caritas Norge. The episodes discuss discrimination and gender-based violence, with a focus on marginalised communities. As well as this, The Oslo Desk has recently finished a 3-year long investigative journalism project, Behind Closed Doors, which was partially funded by a grant from FrittOrd Foundation. Two articles have been published so far, with the third and last instalment of the series due to be released by the end of July. As a result of the admirable work it does to transform the representation of minorities in the media, The Oslo Desk has been awarded Leading Online Journalist Magazine in the Scandinavian Business Awards 2023. The organisation has a multitude of ideas for future endeavours. For example, it plans to create a handbook that provides insight into The Oslo Desk Framework for interviews, which will inform journalists of how to be more cautious when running stories with immigrants. It also plans to build its team in order to soon scale the business. Contact: Ka Man Mak Company: The Oslo Desk Web Address: oslodesk.com
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