This week the Hellkonferansen – a journalist’s conference which will be held in Trøndelag – is being organised.
NJ describes the conference as a professional arena for learning and inspiration, and a pleasant meeting place for journalists and editors in local and national media.
Ahead of the conference, the organizers sent out a survey to everyone who will participate.
– The investigation will lay the foundation for a discussion or talk show on Friday, which will be an oblique look at Trønder’s media, says head of the Hellkomiteen, Karin Jegtvik to Dagbladet.
The journalists are asked about many different things, including how they would describe their immediate manager. The question has six answer options, and one of them is “sexy”.
Only Oslo shuts down
It was Media24 who mentioned the matter first.
Responding
– I was a little surprised that they chose to have “sexy” as an answer option.
That’s what Arne Jensen, senior adviser at the Norwegian Editors’ Association, says to Dagbladet.
– If it was an attempt to be funny, then I understand. But I think it just looked weird.
Last week, the senior adviser published a post on Facebook where he tried to joke back a bit, he says with a laugh.
– There are several serious or serious questions, such as whether you have experienced threatening situations at work. So it is not a pure mood survey, says Jensen.
A failed attempt at humor
The head of the Hellkomiteen, Karin Jegtvik, states that she was not part of the group that formulated the questions in the survey. Nevertheless, she takes full responsibility for the formulation of the questions and the answer options.
– We obviously apologize if anyone was offended by the one answer option, says Jegtvik.
She says that it was thoughtless of them, and explains the answer option as what one might call a failed attempt at humor – in what was supposed to be an informal survey.
– Perhaps we should have specified the purpose of the investigation better, says the manager.
An important discussion
Jegtvik says that she herself had not reacted to the use of the word “sexy”, but points out that it is because she herself knows the connection.
– Do you still realize that someone is reacting?
– I can understand that others react and perceive it as sloppy, replies Jegtvik.
At the same time, the manager emphasizes that the survey should create a discussion.
– We can learn something from precisely this – when we have nevertheless made a mistake. It is important to discuss what is right and what is not, as well as what kind of words are okay to use and what are not, says Jegtvik.
