(THIS ARTICLE IS MACHINE TRANSLATED by Google from Norwegian)
And I encourage other shareholders to throw yourself around and get involved, either by attending the general meeting on Tuesday 24 January at 16.00 in the SV premises in Oslo, or by contacting Ny Tid's editorial staff and possibly giving the board a power of attorney. After attending a shareholders' meeting on 16 January, I see three possible outcomes of the current financial crisis in Ny Tid:
Option 1: The newspaper is closed down. SV retains ownership of the name Ny Tid.
Option 2: Avisa is provided with new equity. Since charity idealism is dying, it is unrealistic to think that we can raise enough money this time. The general meeting therefore approves that the publisher Damm (owned by the Egmont group) takes over Ny Tid. An agreement with Damm must include guarantees for the workplaces, the addition of resources for new development, and the continuation of the newspaper's political profile. I also want a point that ensures that the right to the Ny Tid name is returned to SV if Damm shuts down the newspaper, whether it be in 2, 5 or 10 years.
Option 3: We are trying to get the newspaper Klassekampen (KK) to take over Ny Tid, with the intention that Ny Tid will be KK's Saturday supplement. According to some SV veterans, Klassekampen has now become "the entire left-wing newspaper". It's not the Class Struggle! The class struggle was, is and is controlled by the AKP. The fact that some SVers have for many years done what they can to support and legitimize the Class Struggle as a "left-wing newspaper" does not remove the fact that the AKP will not give up its share of ownership. The Stalinists from the 1970s are now in positions of power around Norwegian society, thanks to our dear democracy. They will probably enjoy themselves extra when Klassekampen eats Ny Tid for breakfast. And what about Ny Tid's independent political profile in the newspaper «The class struggle, in which New Time is occupied»? We also know that KK is not a rich newspaper either.
I support Ny Tid's board and employees, which suggests that Damm takes over New Time. There is no ideal solution, but it is better than closure, whether the closure is made by us or Klassekampen.
Finally: I would have liked SV to have centrally engaged the members in a discussion about the future of Ny Tids before there was an acute crisis in the newspaper. Then we might have had other real choices than the ones we have today.
Aslaug M. Vaksvik is a shareholder in Ny Tid.
