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TV 2 awards scholarships to four student projects

TV 2 awarded a total of NOK 100.000 to master students from the department of Information and Media Science at the University of Bergen (UiB) during a ceremony at Media City Bergen last week. The scholarship is part of their ongoing commitment to supporting new media talents.

TV2 scholarship
Left to right: Head of the TV 2 Scholarship selection committee, Professor Ole J. Mjøs, students Bia Sjøvoll, Marianne Borchgrevink-Brækhus, Johanna M. Husebye, Sara Stene Pedersen, Fredrik Jensen, TV 2 CEO Olav Sandnes and Head of Department Leif Ove Larsen
Photo:
Zulfikar Fahmy, UiB

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- I hope to see many of you in TV 2 after you graduate, says Olav Sandnes, CEO and Chief Editor of the broadcaster.

- This is our way of supporting the new talents, who will bring our industry forward. Our democratic mission will always be to provide a voice for the grassroots, and to expose crime, corruption and injustice. But the tools we use are changing rapidly and drastically, he adds.

- Exceptionally high quality

The selection committee has chosen a diverse range of projects that represent content, impacts on society, and technology development.

- Although diverse, all of these student projects are of exceptionally high quality, states professor Professor Ole J. Mjøs, who headed the committee.

- And the students have shown a great deal of curiosity and enthusiasm for their field of study.

Diverse projects

Among the projects receiving awards was student Johanna M. Husebye who focused on investigative journalism. She received NOK 15.000 to continue her work on a story about suicide among the elderly, an underrepresented demographic in Norwegian mainstream media.

Two projects focusing on new media were also awarded. Marianne Borchgrevink-Brækhus received NOK 15 000 for her research on what makes us click on a specific news story.

NOK 50 000 went to a group of students collaborating with TV 2 Sumo. Sara Pedersen Stene, Johanne Christensen Ågotnes, and Fredrik Jensen are developing a prototype for the streaming service, specifically aimed at kids.

Focusing on society and system, Bia Sjøvoll got NOK 20 000 for her research on how much trust we have in the media.

- Most of the research on this topic has used the quantitative method. In my project, I wanted to do it differently, so I chose a qualitative approach, with in-depth interviews, she explains.

- I am so grateful for the scholarship, she continues.

- Gathering and making sense of the data is hard, tedious work. The recognition and financial support are obviously a great motivational booster.

Collaboration in the media cluster

All the students who received funding for their projects are currently working on their master’s degree at the department of Information science and Media at UiB. The projects will be part of their master’s thesis.

TV 2’s scholarship is part of a long-standing collaboration between UiB and TV 2, both organizations are key members of the Norwegian Media Cluster.

- Our studies evolve and adapt to the industry's needs, says Leif Ove Larsen, Head of Department at Information Science and Media Studies.

- We stay in close dialogue with the companies in the media cluster, to make sure our students graduate with relevant and valuable skills. And to help us and the industry attract the brightest talents out there.