Since February, the NRK program Folkeopplysningen has used ignorant students in an experiment aimed at challenging democracy and showing the effect of fake news. The program has sought to influence students to vote for the Center Party.
Through social media, students have been exposed to positively loaded articles about the Center Party.
Wanted to influence real choice
The public inquiry has also created fake news sites where other parties are portrayed putting in a bad day and where the Center Party is highlighted as the best option.
Tor Erik Olsen, producer for the company that makes the program, tells NRK that they did extensive work to succeed in their experiment and that they had even bigger plans from the beginning.
- We wanted to influence the right choice from the beginning, but we couldn't do it with NRK's blessing. We have tried to run the same campaign that Russia did against the US during the presidential campaign, Olsen tells NRK.
"Not a formidable effect"
The headmaster of the school, Øivind Sørlie, agreed with the experiment and believes it is a good way to show how fake news can affect people.
The result from the school elections shows a slight increase for the center party, from 2 percent to 3.1 percent.
The winner of the election was the Green Party Green Party, which increased from 9 percent to 19.5 percent. This is despite false news that the party wants, among other things, a deodorant ban at school.
According to Sørlie, there are between 300 and 400 voting students at the school and he believes the campaign may have influenced some to vote for the Center Party.
- Yes, it may have affected, but the result of the school choice shows that it has not had a formidable effect, says Sørlie.
The purpose does not always sanctify the funds
There has been a great stir in Norway since the experiment became known and Erna Solberg believes that the purpose does not always sanctify the funds.
- It is important to watch fake news but here I think a mistake has been made, she tells Norwegian TV 2.