ABC Nyheter - 2 Stories

1) USA-hockey lokker Mari (Geir Råve) 21 June 2007
http://www.abcnyheter.no/node/47922
This story is another excellent example of how stories relating to Canada are often made to look as though Norwegians are having success in the USA and not in Canada. In this story about 16 year old Norwegian Mari Heen, it describes her coming to Canada (not the USA) to play in a "Showcase" hockey series. Further into the story it talks about how there are 40,000 "licenced" Canadian female hockey players in Toronto, Canada alone. It talks about women's hockey in Canada, and the extent of the popularity in Canada. Under the one picture the caption is: "Heen (16) kan havne i USA for spill i verdens beste ishockey-liga for jenter." In addition, in the title is states: "USA-hockey lokker Mari". What is typical of many Norwegian reporters is the regular habit of trying to make Canadian content look American, or like Norwegians are having success in the USA, when they are in fact in Canada, and not the USA. The title to be accurate should read: "Canada-hockey lokker Mari" if it is truly Canadian hockey that she admires and seems interested in from all the Canadian content in the story. If it is a desire to go to the USA and play in the USA for women's hockey this story does not mention that at all, so how can the title be "USA-hockey lokker Mari"? If she really loves USA hockey then why is the majority of the content of the story all about the extent of popularity and information relating to women's hockey in Canada, with virtually none about the USA? Does this Norwegian journalist think Canadian hockey is USA hockey? The story was later corrected to "Canada-hockey lokker Mari." What is it with so many journalists in the Norwegian media, that despite someone like Mari coming to Canada to play, talking about the extent of women's hockey in Canada, the fact that Canada is really the home of hockey (57% of NHL players are Canadians), and the showcase series is being played in Canada, the Norwegian media has to make it out to look like it is USA hockey. Why? Why when Norwegians are in Canada, interested in Canadian things, being successful in Canada does the Norwegian press try to make it look like it is the USA and success in the USA? Is it not as prestigious to Norwegians to be successful in Canada that changing it to American is more status?
2) Lei av krig (By Ola Karlsen) 10 July 2008
In this story the Norwegian journalist states "Undersøkelsen ble foretatt i en periode hvor 20 britiske soldater ble drept i Afghanistan og 15 i Irak. Storbritannia, USA og Canada skal ha hatt de fleste dødsfallene (og største styrker) i disse operasjonene." Canada did not send in the Canadian army to Iraq. Canada did not fight in Iraq. The Times story the journalist based the story off, does not mention Canada in Iraq in their story. The Times states: "The British, Americans and Canadians have borne the brunt of casualties in Afghanistan." Why does the Norwegian journalist guess or assume and write Canadians were among the most dead in these operations when Canada was not in both of these operations? And the Times story does not say what the Norwegian journalist has written either. It distinctly mentions Canada in Afghanistan, not in Iraq. The British and Americans were in Iraq, but not the Canadians. An e-mail was sent to the Norwegian journalist, but a reply, nor a correction to the story was ever received. After two months and several e-mails, a clarification at the bottom of the story has finally been added: "En liten presisering: Tallene for Canada gjelder kun Afghanistan. Landet sendte ikke styrker til Irak." Amazing to think it takes two months and several e-mails just to have the correct information about Canada written in this story. Even though a note to this story was added to clarify that Canada was not in Iraq, the original mistake was not corrected. Why does it take this type of effort to get some Norwegian journalists to correct their mistakes? The number one problem Norwegians have in how they see Canada is that they do not see it being very different from the USA; the Norwegian media is a big part of this problem when they continually write mistakes in their stories about Canada that is not correct, because they either guess or assume information about Canada is the same as the USA, even when their source doesn't state what the Norwegian journalist often writes. The perception of Canada in Norway is poor at best, and the Norwegian media has incredible influence on what Norwegians read. How many Norwegians will come away from reading this story that Canada is in Iraq, when Canadian values did not send Canadians into Iraq; yet from Norwegians' perspective Canada is just the same as the USA, no difference. How is Canada and Canadians every going to have a distinct perception in Norway if the Norwegian media and education system continues to add Canada in with what the Americans are doing, even when Canada and Canadians are not doing the same thing. How would Norwegians feel if Canadian media just wrote Norway and Norwegians are the same as Germans or Swedes, and they do the same as Germans as Swedes, etc. Ignorance, guessing, assuming, and lazy journalism are far too often what is behind the numerous mistakes on Canada and Canadians in the Norwegian media.

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