The matter in summary: news has gained an overview of how a number of media campaigns have been coordinated by a PR agency to influence a new legislative proposal from the government. The bill, which aims to improve pay conditions for foreign seafarers in Norwegian waters, was presented on 1 May and particularly affects the cruise industry along the coast. Several municipal ports and cruise destinations have mobilized in the media and warned against the bill. news’s online affairs have also been affected by the communication campaign. – The Port of Tromsø has not received communication assistance. But we can confirm that our member organisation, Cruise Norway AS, has mobilized and engaged a PR agency, says Jørn-Even Hanssen, who is the port manager in Tromsø. Several municipal ports and cruise destinations have recently mobilized in the media and strongly warned against a new bill from the government. The new legislative amendment aims to combat social dumping of seafarers’ wages in Norwegian waters. Inspection of the e-mails of municipal ports shows that several media releases, including several articles in news, are coordinated with the help of a PR agency, and coordinated with ports and tourism players. The strategy shows the targeting of messages towards Fisheries and Oceans Minister Marianne Sivertsen Næss (Ap), and her state secretary Kristina Hanssen (Ap). Jan Morten Hansen (Ap) is the mayor of Nordkapp. It is the same municipality that State Secretary Kristina Hansen (Ap) in the Ministry of Fisheries and Industry comes from. Photo: Hanne Larsen / news – Kruse Larsen suggests creating uncertainty Nordkapp is the home municipality of State Secretary Kristina Hanssen (Ap), and the neighboring municipality of Fisheries and Oceans Minister Marianne Sivertsen Næss (Ap). It is the minister and her state secretaries who are responsible for following up the bill on behalf of the government. In an e-mail sent by the general manager of Cruise Norway AS, Monica Berstad, to a number of actors, she writes that the PR agency Kruse Larsen has been hired to help them stop the proposal. The e-mail dated 19 April has been sent to Tromsø and Nordkapp harbour, among other things. There, Berstad writes that Kruse Larsen proposes to exploit the fact that Sivertsen Næss was new to the position of Minister of Fisheries and Oceans: – Kruse Larsen proposes to create uncertainty, writes Berstad. The managing director of Cruise Norway AS, Monica Berstad, has denied news access to the e-mail exchanges. Instead, news has gained access to the communications from its member companies and public owners, which are covered by the Freedom of Information Act. Photo: Øyvind Sandnes / news She asks all actors: – Prepare good media stories and chronicles from local actors and the local community. – Matters that are ready to be published in the local press as soon as the bill is available. Playing on facts and feelings, writes Berstad. A number of harbor masters are on the e-mail lists, including the harbor masters in Tromsø and Nordkapp. In addition, other actors from cruise and destination companies are recipients of the e-mail. Monica Berstad has responded in writing to a number of questions from news. She writes that they asked for assistance from Kruse Larsen, to shed light on the consequences the bill could have for municipal ports and tourism companies along the coast. – Here the intention was to shed light on the uncertainties surrounding European competition legislation that have been discussed in the media related to the bill, she writes. Read her full answer at the bottom of the article. Fisheries and Oceans Minister Marianne Sivertsen Næss (Ap) is from Hammerfest in Finnmark. She is set to push the bill through the Storting. Photo: Hanne Wilhelms / news – Once again our fisheries minister fails on 22 – and 23 May, a number of actors along the coast warned against the new bill in the media. In an news case on 22 May, actors in Lofoten and Nordland warn against the bill. In Finnmark, it is the harbor bailiff in Nordkapp municipality, Leif Gustav Prytz Olsen, who directs the harshest criticism of the government. – Once again, our fisheries minister and the government are failing Coastal Norway, and especially Coastal Finnmark, he says to Finnmarksposten on 9 May. Labor mayor in Nordkapp municipality, Jan Morten Hansen, has also come out against his own government in a news story in news on 23 May. In the online case, he was supported by the port manager, Leif Gustav Prytz Olsen. – To say that I am worried is an understatement. I fear that people in northern Norway will end up clamoring for the government to give the Filipinos good wages, said Prytz Olsen to news. This is how the industry coordinated against the government’s bill: 22 April: Cruise Norway had hired Kruse Larsen In the email from Monica Berstad, she shares the strategy drawn up in collaboration with Kruse Larsen. The new minister was to receive critical media matters before direct contact was established. 1 May: Cruise Norway asks the members to implement the Kruse Larsen plan In the email, Monica Berstad calls for emotional “cases” from the member ports that can be recorded in the media. 2 May: CNNS brings in Lofoten Consulting and Remi Solberg In an e-mail to Nordkapp Havn, the cruise and destination company CNNS announces that it has hired former Ap mayor Remi Solberg from Vestvågøy for PR help for NOK 250,000. 7 May: Cruise Norway urges members to look for cases in the media In the email, Berstad explains that Kruse Larsen will use local cases to create publicity packages to be sent to the media, with assistance from the PR agency. 24 May: Shows coordination with news and Dagens Næringsliv24. In May, Visit Tromsø and the Port of Tromsø appeared together on morning radio in news Troms, while Cruise Norway announced that they had sold to Dagens nårnesliv. An article in Dagens nårnesliv appeared two days later. 24 May: Message from Kruse Larsen: – The stress in political leadership increases After several media reports in the north, Kruse Larsen announced that they had established direct pressure, via local actors, against State Secretary Hanssen and State Councilor Sivertsen Næss. Mayor Jan Morten Hansen says to news that he does not recognize himself in having contributed to the coordination of media outreach together with Cruise Norway. – In this case, I have expressed my concern about the consequences of the bill, which I see as my responsibility as mayor in a municipality where tourism is crucial for settlement, development and growth. The concern comes from me as mayor and not at the behest of anyone, he says to news. Prytz Olsen also denies that he has participated in the coordination of media coverage. – None of what I have spoken about in the media has been coordinated by anyone. I myself contacted a journalist in Finnmarksposten and gave my view on the case, he writes to news. Harbor manager in Nordkapp municipality, Leif Gunnar Prytz Olsen, has been among the harshest critics of the government’s bill on seamen’s wages. Photo: Finnmarksposten – The stress in political leadership seems to increase In an email sent on 24 May to the members, including harbor manager Prytz Olsen, Berstad writes in Cruise Norway: – We received an “underhand” message today from the PR agency : The stress in political leadership seems to be increasing. They find it uncomfortable with the pressure coming from local actors who have contacted the State Secretary (Kristina Hanssen editor’s note) and the Minister of State (Marianne Sivertsen Næss editor’s note) with our message, she writes in the e-mail. – They are starting to worry about the real consequences a legislative decision that includes cruises will have for local business, she concludes. Berstad writes to news that the whole point of the consultation process is to shed light on all the consequences of the bill: – As we understood this feedback, it may seem as if there has been a lot of pressure from local politicians and local businesses in Northern Norway, she writes, and adds: – The politicians should have the clearest possible picture, with as much information as possible, before they make a final decision, so that the decision is made on the best possible basis. These communications companies have been hired in connection with the bill: Kruse Larsen – hired by Cruise Norway AS Led by Jan-Erik Larsen, and former Labor ministers Bjarne Håkon Hanssen and Lisbeth Berg Hansen. Kruse Larsen does not want to state who works directly with Cruise Norway. – Our contribution in such assignments is usually to compile publicly available information, analyze it and help customers see the whole and the big picture – and then give our advice based on that, writes Jan-Erik Larsen in an e-mail to news. Lofoten Consulting, and Remi Solberg, have been hired by CNNS (Cruise network Northern Norway and Svalbard) Remi Solberg is a former Labor mayor in Vestvågøy municipality. He has been county council leader in Nordland until 2022. – When it comes to media matters, our approach has been to ensure that all aspects of the case are covered, and we have helped to convey information and views to relevant media, writes Remi Solberg in e -mail to news. WergelandApenes is chartered by CLIA – Cruise Lines International Association. Rune Mørck Wergeland confirms to news that he is chartered from WergelandApenes to CLIA. He acts as CLIA Norway’s spokesperson, and has organized several seminars at Arendal Week about the bill. – It is true that I work on assignment for CLIA. We collaborate widely, but are not behind the media’s actions. – Up to the customers to comment General manager of Kruse Larsen, Jan-Erik Larsen, says it is up to the customers to comment on the content of the work they do for them. – In this case, we can add that the proposed changes to the law have created great uncertainty in several industries and local communities. It is then perfectly understandable and legitimate that those who are affected by the changes try to influence new provisions to limit the harmful effects for companies, workplaces and value creation, says Larsen. news has asked Fisheries Minister Marianne Sivertsen Næss and State Secretary Kristina Hansen for a comment. Instead, State Secretary Even Tronstad Sagebakken in the Ministry of Trade and Fisheries responds: – In Norway, we must have a fair and decent working life. This also applies in our sea areas. The consultation deadline for the bill was 12 June. We have received a number of submissions which we will now go through thoroughly before the government concludes. news’s online affairs have also been affected by the communication campaign: Read the full response from Cruise Norway: Written response from Cruise Norway’s managing director, Monica Berstad, to questions from news: What was the intention of “creating uncertainty” related to the bill? – Here the intention was to shed light on the uncertainties surrounding the ESA legislation that have been discussed in the media related to the bill. Among other things, it will be absolutely crucial for us that the final law is not negatively distorting competition compared to our direct competitors – our neighboring countries. – Then it is also important that the government’s final legislative proposal falls within the framework already laid down by ESA, and that the regulations are harmonized with other European countries subject to the same framework. An introduction that is subsequently struck down by ESA will lead to uncertainty both for us, the authorities and everyone subject to the regulations, and could have major and unintended consequences for the Norwegian tourism industry. How many media matters have you helped to coordinate together with the ports? – The bill has created so much uncertainty in the local communities here in Northern Norway, that the vast majority of media issues have been spontaneous and created by the ports and the business community themselves. Having said that, we are working to get all the cases we can on this important topic, as we believe it is important to inform as many people as possible about the consequences of the bill. You describe in an e-mail that you received an “underhand” message from the PR agency that “the stress in political leadership seems to be increasing”. What did you mean by this? – As we understood this feedback, it may seem as if the pressure has been great from local politicians and local businesses in Northern Norway. – It is logical that this will lead to thought processes in the political leadership, and this is also important. – The whole point of a consultation process is precisely to shed light on all the consequences of the bill, both intended and unintended, so that the authorities can make a final decision with the most and best possible information as a basis. It seems that your media campaign has purposefully tried to influence State Secretary Kristina Hanssen and Minister Marianne Sivertsen Næss to change their position on the bill, using media pressure in their own local communities, with local actors and local media: Why do you think this is important? – Bringing out the consequences for the local community, and that as many as possible of those who are affected by a political decision express their opinion about it, is not only necessary and important, but an absolutely essential part of the democratic process. – The politicians should have the clearest possible picture, with as much information as possible, before they make a final decision, so that the decision is made on the best possible basis. Published 18.06.2024, at 05.10 Updated 19.06.2024, at 10.28
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Cruise ports received help from PR agency to stop new law against social dumping – news Troms and Finnmark
