Responds to criticism: "The documentation has never been done before"

By defying the peace of the grave, the journalist Henrik Evertsson has been able to document a hole in the hull of Estonia.

The documentary series was awarded last autumn as the Revealing of the Year by the Grand Journalist Award jury.

- This is not acceptable as digging journalism.

It should be based on scientific method, facts and honesty, this documentary does not, says Dan Josefsson, one of the ten digging journalists who signed the debate article in Dagens Nyheter.

Instead, he says that the documentary lists a lot of old conspiracy theories that, for example, weapons and military equipment were on board and that a submarine could have sunk the ship, which Dan Josefsson believes is not sufficiently proven in the documentary series. 

"There was a big discussion"

According to Jonas Bonnier, chairman of the Grand Journalist Award, those issues have been discussed in connection with the appointment.

- Each nomination has its strengths and weaknesses and the jury's case is to try to evaluate it.

Here it was concluded that this discovery outweighed very much else, but it is clear that there was a great deal of discussion before the jury agreed, he says.

Jonas Bonnier also points out that the discovery of the hole has led Sweden, Finland and Estonia to start new investigations into the disaster.

- That three independent governments, all three feel that this revelation makes them react, then it seems that more than the jury thinks it is a big deal, he says.

Is it then the consequences of a revelation that are most important for the appointment?

- No, a breakthrough is definitely something that the jury considers, but it is to reveal this hole that was the jury's main argument, he says.

"The purpose was to document facts"

The documentary's producer, Frithjof Jacobsen, strongly opposes the documentary of Estonia being conspiratorial.

- There are many conspiracy theories about the Estonia disaster.

These are theories that lack facts.

I think they have emerged because there have been large knowledge gaps about Estonia because they did not want to examine the hull.

Our purpose has been to document facts, he says to Kulturnyheterna.