Terje Baalsrud
Encyclopedia
Terje Baalsrud was a Norwegian newspaper editor.
He was born in Kristiansand
as a son of Andreas Baalsrud
(1872–1961) and his wife Christine Andrea Christofersen (1878–1956). He was a first cousin of Jan Baalsrud
. He finished
his secondary education in Kristiania in 1932, and started as a journalist in Fedrelandslaget
's publication ABC. He was promoted to subeditor in 1937, the same year that he took the cand.oecon.
degree, and was further promoted to editor-in-chief in 1939. The newspaper went defunct in 1940, but Baalsrud moved on to Tidens Tegn
where he was foreign affairs editor until that newspaper's demise in 1941. He was given the Defence Medal 1940–1945 for resistance during the German occupation of Norway.
Except for a short time as secretary in the Norwegian Forest Owners Association
, he worked in the news agency Press Telegraph from 1941 to 1947, and then worked two years as an encyclopedia editor. In 1949 he was hired in the newspaper Norges Handels- og Sjøfartstidende
(now: Dagens Næringsliv). He was one of the early muckraker
journalists, and gained fame when he discovered a secret weapons sale from Norway to Fulgencio Batista
. Baalsrud won the Narvesen Prize
in 1959 for this discovery. Later he helped dig up the Kings Bay Affair
. His main interests were foreign affairs in general, especially the Baltic countries
, as well as defence policy. He was active in Norges Forsvarsforening.
He became acting editor-in-chief of Norges Handels- og Sjøfartstidende in 1961, and then served as chief editor from 1962 to 1978. Baalsrud continued writing after his official retirement, and released several books, among others for the Institutt for Forsvarsopplysning.
Baalsrud held the Order of the Estonian National Council and was a Commander of the Order of the Lion of Finland
. He was married to cand.oecon. Ellen Miøen since 1938, and died in March 2003 in Oslo.
He was born in Kristiansand
Kristiansand
-History:As indicated by archeological findings in the city, the Kristiansand area has been settled at least since 400 AD. A royal farm is known to have been situated on Oddernes as early as 800, and the first church was built around 1040...
as a son of Andreas Baalsrud
Andreas Baalsrud
Andreas Baalsrud was a Norwegian engineer.He was born in Stavern, and took his education in Oslo and Zurich. He was hired in the Norwegian Public Roads Administration in 1891, and worked as district engineer in Vest-Agder from 1912 to 1919. From 1919 to 1945 he served as director of the Norwegian...
(1872–1961) and his wife Christine Andrea Christofersen (1878–1956). He was a first cousin of Jan Baalsrud
Jan Baalsrud
Jan Sigurd Baalsrud, MBE was a commando in the Norwegian resistance trained by the British during World War II.- Early life :...
. He finished
Examen artium
Examen artium was the name of the academic certification conferred in Denmark and Norway, qualifying the student for admission to university studies. Examen artium was originally introduced as the entrance exam of the University of Copenhagen in 1630...
his secondary education in Kristiania in 1932, and started as a journalist in Fedrelandslaget
Fedrelandslaget
The Fatherland League was a political organisation in Norway, which was founded on 25 January 1925. By the initiative of young industrialist Joakim Lehmkuhl, the organisation was co-founded with polar explorer Fridtjof Nansen and former Prime Minister Christian Michelsen...
's publication ABC. He was promoted to subeditor in 1937, the same year that he took the cand.oecon.
Cand.oecon.
Candidatus oeconomices or Candidata oeconomices , often abbreviated cand.oecon. is an academic degree in economics at Danish and Norwegian universities. It is roughly equivalent to a Master of Economics, but it consists of 4+2 years, and was based on a four year cand.mag.. The degree was replaced...
degree, and was further promoted to editor-in-chief in 1939. The newspaper went defunct in 1940, but Baalsrud moved on to Tidens Tegn
Tidens Tegn
Tidens Tegn is a former Norwegian newspaper, issued in Oslo from 1910 to 1941.-Editors:The founder and first editor-in-chief of Tidens Tegn was Ola Thommessen, who edited the newspaper until 1917. Thommessen had recently left the editor chair of Verdens Gang in protest, bringing much of Verdens...
where he was foreign affairs editor until that newspaper's demise in 1941. He was given the Defence Medal 1940–1945 for resistance during the German occupation of Norway.
Except for a short time as secretary in the Norwegian Forest Owners Association
Norwegian Forest Owners Association
Norwegian Forest Owners Association is an association representing 43,000 owners of forest in Norway. The main functions of the organisation is to assist the members, who are mostly farmers, to manage their forest. This includes forestry plans, part of the cutting of timer and negotiating...
, he worked in the news agency Press Telegraph from 1941 to 1947, and then worked two years as an encyclopedia editor. In 1949 he was hired in the newspaper Norges Handels- og Sjøfartstidende
Dagens Næringsliv
Dagens Næringsliv, commonly known as DN, is a Norwegian tabloid specializing in business reporting with a claimed daily circulation of 82,775 copies in 2008, making it the 8th largest newspaper in Norway. The editor in chief is Amund Djuve. Its name is Norwegian for "Today's Business".Originally...
(now: Dagens Næringsliv). He was one of the early muckraker
Muckraker
The term muckraker is closely associated with reform-oriented journalists who wrote largely for popular magazines, continued a tradition of investigative journalism reporting, and emerged in the United States after 1900 and continued to be influential until World War I, when through a combination...
journalists, and gained fame when he discovered a secret weapons sale from Norway to Fulgencio Batista
Fulgencio Batista
Fulgencio Batista y Zaldívar was the United States-aligned Cuban President, dictator and military leader who served as the leader of Cuba from 1933 to 1944 and from 1952 to 1959, before being overthrown as a result of the Cuban Revolution....
. Baalsrud won the Narvesen Prize
Narvesen Prize
The Narvesen Prize was a Norwegian prize for those who excelled in journalism. It was established in 1954 by the company Narvesen, but the Norwegian Press Association was behind the selection of winners...
in 1959 for this discovery. Later he helped dig up the Kings Bay Affair
Kings Bay Affair
The Kings Bay Affair was a political issue in Norway that reached its apex in 1963 and brought down the government of Einar Gerhardsen and formed the basis for non-socialist coalition politics in Norway that persisted to the end of the 20th century....
. His main interests were foreign affairs in general, especially the Baltic countries
Baltic countries
The term Baltic states refers to the Baltic territories which gained independence from the Russian Empire in the wake of World War I: primarily the contiguous trio of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania ; Finland also fell within the scope of the term after initially gaining independence in the 1920s.The...
, as well as defence policy. He was active in Norges Forsvarsforening.
He became acting editor-in-chief of Norges Handels- og Sjøfartstidende in 1961, and then served as chief editor from 1962 to 1978. Baalsrud continued writing after his official retirement, and released several books, among others for the Institutt for Forsvarsopplysning.
Baalsrud held the Order of the Estonian National Council and was a Commander of the Order of the Lion of Finland
Order of the Lion of Finland
There are three official orders in Finland: the Order of the Cross of Liberty, the Order of the White Rose of Finland and the Order of the Lion of Finland . The President of Finland is the Grand Master of all three orders. The orders are administered by boards consisting of a chancellor, a...
. He was married to cand.oecon. Ellen Miøen since 1938, and died in March 2003 in Oslo.