Presseabteilung
Encyclopedia
The Presseabteilung was a press department created shortly after the German occupation of Norway in April 1940. Through the department, Germans controlled the content of Norwegian newspapers.
Both the Norwegian fascist party Nasjonal Samling and the Norwegian Ministry of Culture and Enlightenment wanted to control newspapers, but the German occupants used the press department to get the final power of decision. The department consisted of bureaus for general press policy, daily newspapers, illustrated press, culture and economy journalism, news and information.
The work was based on political control of the press, meaning direct interference, closing, firing of editors and journalists, and even arrests.
Oslo papers that were being published got the messages of what to print through the daily press conferences, other papers got classified daily orders by telephone or teleprinter
, the latter an innovation brought to Norwegian newspapers by the Germans. Orders went into detail about how the occupant power wanted each piece of news handled, as well as what events were not to be covered at all. NS papers were also established. The largest and best known was Fritt Folk
("Free People"), which took over the offices of Arbeiderbladet after this Oslo paper was closed down in August 1940.
Several papers that refused to follow guidelines were shut down for longer or shorter periods. Some were made subject to prior restraint
rather than the normal censorship after the fact. However, perhaps the most effective sanction was paper rationing.
The department managed to reduce the number of publications, which made its censorship work easier. Towns that had more than one newspaper before the war, were usually left with one.
Both the Norwegian fascist party Nasjonal Samling and the Norwegian Ministry of Culture and Enlightenment wanted to control newspapers, but the German occupants used the press department to get the final power of decision. The department consisted of bureaus for general press policy, daily newspapers, illustrated press, culture and economy journalism, news and information.
The work was based on political control of the press, meaning direct interference, closing, firing of editors and journalists, and even arrests.
Oslo papers that were being published got the messages of what to print through the daily press conferences, other papers got classified daily orders by telephone or teleprinter
Teleprinter
A teleprinter is a electromechanical typewriter that can be used to communicate typed messages from point to point and point to multipoint over a variety of communication channels that range from a simple electrical connection, such as a pair of wires, to the use of radio and microwave as the...
, the latter an innovation brought to Norwegian newspapers by the Germans. Orders went into detail about how the occupant power wanted each piece of news handled, as well as what events were not to be covered at all. NS papers were also established. The largest and best known was Fritt Folk
Fritt Folk
Fritt Folk was a Norwegian newspaper, published in Oslo. It was the official organ of the Fascist party Nasjonal Samling, and came to prominence during the Second World War.-History:...
("Free People"), which took over the offices of Arbeiderbladet after this Oslo paper was closed down in August 1940.
Several papers that refused to follow guidelines were shut down for longer or shorter periods. Some were made subject to prior restraint
Prior restraint
Prior restraint or prior censorship is censorship in which certain material may not be published or communicated, rather than not prohibiting publication but making the publisher answerable for what is made known...
rather than the normal censorship after the fact. However, perhaps the most effective sanction was paper rationing.
The department managed to reduce the number of publications, which made its censorship work easier. Towns that had more than one newspaper before the war, were usually left with one.