Norway proposes budget increases for local media and culture

The Norwegian government has proposed budget increases aimed at supporting local media and cultural sectors in its upcoming state budget proposal.

For local newspapers, the government plans to increase production subsidies by 30 million NOK to strengthen media diversity across the country. Additionally, a 10 million NOK increase is proposed for innovation and development grants, specifically targeting projects that encourage news consumption among young people.

In the cultural sector, the Norwegian Arts Council (Kulturrådet) has been allocated 1.068 billion NOK, an increase of 35.6 million NOK. While the council had requested an additional 233 million NOK, leadership noted that the current increase represents only about 15 percent of their requested amount. Despite the shortfall, the council welcomed a 6 million NOK increase for literature procurement schemes to support reading strategies and the strengthening of state artist grants.