AUCKLAND (Pacific Media Watch): Norwegian radio journalist Daniel Drageset has been appointed the new Pacific Media Watch freedom project contributing editor and will take up his new role early next year while completing his postgraduate communications degree.
This is a capacity-building research and publication post reserved for current postgraduate students in AUT University’s School of Communication Studies. It is advertised among students and the job goes to Pasifika students or other students with strong Pacific credentials.
Drageset, 27, will be the fifth student in the post since 2007, following editors from Australia, Kiribati, Samoa and Tonga.
From Ålesund, Norway, Drageset completed his Bachelor of Journalism degree at the University College of Volda in 2008, majoring in radio journalism.
Drageset worked as an all-round radio news reporter in the nationwide public service broadcaster Radio Norge from June 2008 to January 2012.
In 2010, he received the Norwegian Radio Talent of the Year Award. He was nominated for the best feature radio stories of the year in both 2011 and 2012, and was a highly recognisable "voice" in Norwegian radio.
“One of the appealing aspects of working at Radio Norge was the diverse tasks I was set to do,” he says.
“One day I could interview the prime minister, another day I could interview African prostitutes trawling the main street of Oslo trying to sell their services in biting cold weather.
"I cherish the opportunity to voice the opinion of sources that are rarely heard in mainstream media.”
The most dramatic moment of his career happened on July 22, 2011, when Norway experienced two terror attacks, leaving 77 people dead.
Drageset was at work in the capital of Oslo when the bomb struck just 400m away from the newsroom of Radio Norge.
'Terror attack'
“I had never thought I would experience a terror attack in my life. Experiencing such a traumatic event as a journalist made me realise that I should never take anything for granted.”
While Drageset is new to the Pacific region, he has taken a keen interest in issues such as climate change, conflicts and press freedom. He has visited both Samoa and Tonga, and has written many strong articles during the Asia-Pacific Journalism postgraduate paper this year.
He will be succeeding Alex Perrottet, who has been PMW contributing editor for more than the past two years and has covered many major stories. He is completing his Masters in Communication Studies degree shortly.
“Alex will be a hard act to follow and we have been delighted with his contribution but I am sure Daniel sees this as an interesting challenge,” says Pacific Media Centre director Professor David Robie.
“We have a number of exciting changes next year with a move to the state-of-the-art new communications building and convergent media centre.”
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