– I think the whole case has at times been covered up, says Professor Svein Brurås to news, who has written several books on press ethics and adds: – Especially when it comes to the personal details of family relationships. Early in the morning of 31 October 2018, Anne-Elisabeth Hagen was in contact with a family member on the phone as usual. That’s the last sign of life anyone got from her. In January 2019, it became known that she had gone missing. Since then, the media pressure has been tremendous on the family. Anne-Elisabeth Hagen with her husband Tom Hagen. Photo: PRIVAT This is how the media storm appears in pure numbers From the time the case first became known in January 2019 until 22 August this year, the unsolved case has been mentioned 10,197 times in the Norwegian media, news’s mapping shows. On average, there are almost 54 cases a week. The figures include both larger notices and short news releases online and in paper. To a small extent, they include TV and radio areas. VG, news, TV 2 and Dagbladet are among those who have discussed the case by far the most, besides the local newspaper in Lørenskog, Romerikes Blad. news.no has mentioned the case 535 times. VG has mentioned the case 920 times; Dagbladet and Romerikes Blad 709 times; TV 2 Nett/Play 415 times; and Aftenposten 360 times. The case has also been discussed internationally. In particular, it has received a lot of attention in Denmark, Sweden and Finland. A book has also been written about the disappearance, a TV 2 documentary series of six episodes and several podcast episodes about the case. In addition, Netflix will release a drama series about the disappearance in September. There has been considerable media pressure at times, especially when the case became known and charges were brought. Apart from the two peaks, there has been a steady flood of cases since the disappearance became known. This is how news conducted the search news’s analysis of media coverage of the Lørenskog case covers online media and print newspapers for the period from when it became known in the media in January 2019 to and including 22 August 2022 All Norwegian media in Retriever have been selected, including sources categorized as Radio/TV, the following applies: P4, VGTV, TV2 Play, Dagbladet TV and DNtv. We have searched for the following: (“tom hagen” and (the police* or accused* or crime* or disappearance*) andnot (the godfather)) or (“anne elisabeth hagen” or “anne elisabeth falkevik hagen”). In total, in the period up to today, the case has been mentioned in 10,197 cases in the Norwegian media. Many traditional radio and TV channels are not included, so the figure is actually higher. – These figures should be a wake-up call for the media, says Svein Brurås, who until recently was associated with the Department of Journalism at Volda University. He believes that the Norwegian media have placed too little emphasis on the overall media pressure over time. The massive interest in the case has mainly focused on the accused in the case, especially Anne-Elisabeth Hagen’s husband, Tom Hagen. But the media drive can have consequences for several people. That’s what Fanny Duckert, professor of psychology, says. – Here we are talking about children, grandchildren, parents and friends. People who do not feel involved in the case but who are sucked into the same sphere of attention as the protagonist himself, says Duckert to news. The Lørenskog disappearance has received a lot of attention from the media since it became known that Anne-Elisabeth Hagen disappeared in October 2018. Photo: Heiko Junge / NTB In the middle of all the media coverage, a family is left without a mother, wife, grandmother and friend. No perpetrators have been prosecuted or convicted during the nearly four years that have passed since Anne-Elisabeth Hagen was taken. – It is the fear of the fear that is the worst. Many people walk around worrying about what the media might write about a case that appears to be a nightmare for someone in the family, says Tom Hagen to news. He does not wish to comment further on the matter. The husband has been charged by the police for two years with murder, or complicity in murder. The family has always supported Tom Hagen and has also publicly expressed that he is innocent. His defender, lawyer Svein Holden, has expressed several times that the basis for the charge against Tom Hagen is thin. In an earlier interview, news asked Tom Hagen if he had a role in the disappearance. – No. I haven’t had that. Tom Hagen denies that he has anything to do with the disappearance. Photo: Håvard G. Hagen / news – Tempting for the press to hunt for new details Professor Fanny Duckert has special expertise in the effects of negative media exposure for those who end up in the media’s spotlight and their families. – What is scary in a case like this is when it becomes long-winded and does not end with a conclusion. Then everyone goes into prolonged uncertainty, and it is tempting for the press to constantly hunt for new details that others do not have. Fanny Duckert is a professor of psychology and has researched what it is like for individuals and families to be caught up in media storms. Photo: Julie Pike As a result of this, the media can often criticize each other’s sources poorly, says Duckert, who is speaking on a general basis. – If a newspaper brings out new details, it can quickly be presented as new, objective facts. And then it is referred to as if it were new knowledge. But in reality it can only be hypotheses, comments or reflections with which one must be extra careful, for the sake of the family. Duckert speaks as a researcher and does not know how the Hagen family has experienced this media pressure. Critical of the mention of the prenuptial agreement, Professor Brurås believes that the matter has been over-covered for periods and highlights the coverage of the prenuptial agreement as an example. – It is fine for the media to publish information about the prenuptial agreement, but it was published in the form of high-profile cases with strong instruments, and was presented as “this is important! This is of great importance and could be the motive!”. Such angles can appear as indirect speculation that says something about who is to blame in the case, he says. – The news value must be very high before you publish such private information, says Brurås and adds that it is an ethical obligation to assess the harmful effects that new postings may have for those affected. Anne-Elisabeth Hagen has been missing since 31 October 2018. Photo: Police Nevertheless, Brurås believes that it is important that the Lørenskog case itself receives attention and a lot of media coverage. But the media are also obliged to assess the strain on the family and take this into account when planning new reports. Brurås believes that crime journalism has so far thought too little about how the overall media pressure can affect families. – The individual newsrooms have good experience in how to cover cases. But they place too little emphasis on the effect of the overall media pressure. And the individual editor or newsroom should do that. Tom Hagen outside his workplace at Lørenskog April 2021. Photo: Cornelius Pop / NTB Losing the right to his own story – One thing is the main character against whom the accusations are made, but then there is the rest of the family and the circle of friends, explains Duckert. In his research, Duckert has looked at how such media pressure can affect family members. Those affected may feel that they are losing the right to their own story in public, which, according to Duckert, can be experienced as very unfair and demanding. – You no longer have control over your own self-image. This in turn can lead to a number of burdens such as losing track of one’s own life situation, problems with sleep, concentration problems, fear and depression, says Duckert to news. The interest lies in our roots Such stories also act as a guide for our society. – Where is the line for criminal acts and how do we punish people who commit crimes? From society’s side, these issues help us to talk about where we draw limits on what we can allow ourselves, says Duckert. She believes that the reason why the media and the population are attracted to crime stories is due to something that lies deep in our roots as people. – In the old days, there was public amusement with the guillotine. People were tortured and executed in public. So looking behind the facade and following cruel crime is attractive to us. Tom Hagen’s defender, lawyer Svein Holden, together with the press outside the Oslo District Court in 2020. Photo: Fredrik Hagen / NTB – Crime has marketability Professor Svein Brurås points out that the media pressure is characterized by the fact that the Lørenskog case is unique. – This is about a possible abduction done in such a way that the police are almost helpless. It is rare that a disappearance case like this, where everything indicates that something criminal has happened, is not solved in one way or another. This leads to the matter not only having a great social significance, but also a great commercial value for the media. – Krimstoff has a marketability that exceeds most other areas of fabric, says Brurås. Police with a dog investigate the home of the Hagen couple in Sloraveien 4 in Lørenskog, April 2020. Photo: Heiko Junge / NTB
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