Innovation, change and cooperation were at the heart of everything that Anne Jacobsen did through her many years in media. It was a great shock to her family and colleagues when she passed away on 28 January this year, only 59 years old. She has over the last seven years contributed to the positioning of the Norwegian media cluster as a leading environment for media technology, with a particular focus on TV graphics, virtual studios, camera robots and AI.
Anne has in the recent years dedicated much of her attention to the spread of disinformation. She was worried about the evolution and growth of alternative news sources, and how they have contributed towards an increase in polarization and conspiracy theories. She was concerned that they contributed to a decrease in the trust in the established media and public authorities. She believed this constituted an attack on the democracy as such, and called for action to fight this development.
No one is able to solve these challenges alone. The only way to address them, was through collaboration – across organisations and companies, publishers and tech companies, industry and research, and through collaboration with international players.
This was Anne´s mission.
One of the last things that Anne did before suddenly leaving us, was to launch the MCB Fact conference, which is dedicated to the fight against disinformation and fake news, taking place on 8 June. The conference is supported by the Fritt Ord Foundation.
To honour Anne´s legacy and build on her visionary work, NCE Media / Media City Bergen has decided to establish the Anne Jacobsen Memorial Award for an informed public debate.
Anne Jacobsen´s memorial award for an informed public debate
- It will be awarded a person, a group or organisation that has made an outstanding contribution towards the informed public debate
- The award will support innovation that empowers the communication of facts and the truthful news
- The prize is 100 000NOK, and will be presented for the first time as a part of the MCB Fact on 8 June 2022, in Bergen.
The Memorial Award committee has the following members:
- Kjersti Løken Stavrum, CEO of the Tinius foundation
- Øyulf Hjertenes, Director at Schibsted and Board Member of Media City Bergen AS
- Ragnar Christensen, Regional Director NRK Rogaland
- Leif Ove Larsen, Professor Department for information and media sciences at the Univeristy of Bergen
- Are Tverberg, Team leader at TV 2
- Geir Terje Rud, previously head of development at NTB
- Petter Ole Jakobsen, Innovation Officer at Vizrt and Board Member at Media City Bergen AS
- Charlotte Vindenæs, Head of Communication at Media City Bergen AS (Adminsitrative support)
Anne Jacobsens Memorial Award has been made possible with the contributions from:
- Vizrt
- The Tinius foundation
- University of Bergen
- TV 2
- Kulturoperatørene
- Fonn Group
- Amedia
- Schibsted
The proceeds from the workshop delivered by Mart Cagan earlier in the year has been given to the Memorial Award in its entirety.