Happy Birthday, Khrono!

Khrono is three years old today — Happy Birthday!

No matter where I go in higher-education Norway, I always get feedback on the high quality of the journalism found in Khrono and the important role the newspaper plays in bringing news and debate from our sector into the limelight.

HiOA owns Khrono — which means that we finance it, supplying a budget in 2016 of 3.7 million crowns. However, we have no say in any editorial decisions. The newspaper is independent; it operates under the journalistic and ethical standards of any other professional newspaper in Norway.

Lately, Khrono has been working to expand its coverage, and to more assertively take a national position rather than limiting its primary focus to HiOA. This was especially clear during the period of nascent structural changes in our sector in 2015. I think it’s no exaggeration to say that Khrono led nationally with its ongoing coverage of this story.

One of the biggest changes in my professional life since becoming rector at HiOA has been learning to live with a newspaper that shows a strong and steadfast interest in the organization. At the University of Tromsø, I attended board meetings for 4.5 years as prorector for research, and then for two more years as an elected representative of the permanent faculty members. During that period of over six years — close to 50 board meetings — I’m sure the media wasn’t present for five of them. When they were, it was in-and-out for the particular issue that caught their interest. At HiOA board meetings, Khrono tweets every sneeze.

One way Khrono creates debate is by letting readers comment on articles. The comments are often critical, but when I feel that a particular comment shows more ardour than erudition, I think of a good Irish friend who often reminds me that without friction, you can’t move forward.

Indeed, that’s exactly the purpose of a free press — to create debate, to follow us closely, to provide guidance in difficult decisions by letting us ask ourselves, «What is Khrono’s headline going to be?» It’s hard, but it makes us better.

All of us at HiOA can be proud of our contribution to creating a society with a free press, and we can be proud of Khrono’s accomplishments. Today is a milestone and there’s every reason to celebrate. To all of you who have worked at Khrono during these past three years: Gratulerer med dagen!

And many happy returns …