Would you like to participate in the social debate using the professional expertise you have acquired as a master’s degree student? Are you interested in sharing findings from your master’s thesis with the public, but uncertain about how to proceed? The Fritt Ord Foundation invites you to a writing workshop for master’s degree students who have received Fritt Ord grants. We believe these theses are of value for the public debate, and that the knowledge in them deserves to be communicated to a broader audience.

We invite participants to write feature articles, articles or other texts that can communicate findings and insights derived from their master’s projects. Through the writers’ workshop, you will write your own text, then receive ideas for improvements and further development, in addition to receiving feedback and ideas about where you can get your articles published.

Expectations of participants
The writers’ workshop is open to individuals who have received a Freedom of Expression Foundation student research grant and have submitted their thesis in 2016 or 2017, as well as for those who will be submitting in spring 2018. Participants must write a one-page (A-4) draft in advance. It must be submitted by Wednesday, 30 August, at the latest. At the writers’ workshop, you will receive an introduction to feature article writing from experts with experience from newspaper editorial boards. You will be given individual feedback on your text and have an opportunity to discuss it with the other participants, as well as time to continue working on it then and there. Following the writers’ workshop, you will be given help to complete your feature article and ideas about how you can contact newspapers or trade journals, depending on what you think would be the best fit for your article.

The writers’ workshop will be held at the Fritt Ord Foundation’s premises in Uranienborgveien 2 in Oslo. We will refund travel expenses of up to NOK 2 000 for those of you with a long journey. Since we offer individual guidance, registration for the course is binding.

Please register by emailing joakim.lie@frittord.no. Please include your contact details, the programme you’ve attended or are attending, and the year in which the stipend you received was awarded.

Preliminary programme

• Welcome and introduction by Knut Olav Åmås, Executive Director of the Fritt Ord Foundation
• The feature article genre today. By Erik Tornes, Debate Editor at Aftenposten
• Group work: Thematics, getting the message across, priorities and language
• Group work: Approach, title and introduction
• The road ahead

About the Freedom of Expression Foundation student research grants
Fritt Ord awards work grants to students working on master’s theses and documentary films on topics of importance to the social debate, typically in fields such as human rights, journalism, freedom of expression and democracy building. The grants are awarded in collaboration with a number of Norwegian universities and university colleges. See the theme pages about the student research grants for a list of existing agreements.

The call for proposals itself is posted on the websites of the respective institutions, but feel free to contact Fritt Ord if you have trouble finding information about the student research grant of interest to you. Applications should be sent directly to the relevant departments. The deadline for applications varies from institution to institution, but is often in October.

Students who are not affiliated with any of the universities/university colleges on the list, but who are working with master’s theses of particular relevance to Fritt Ord’s objectives, may contact Fritt Ord directly.