Archive for October, 2009

Blurring of reality after SVT cleavage row

Miscellaneous: October 22nd, 2009 by PO

Public broadcaster SVT has blurred out a presenter’s cleavage following a volley of complaints from viewers caught unawares as the camera panned from northern Sweden’s slopes to those of the reporter.

SVT’s complaints flashboard lit up after Helene Albrektson from Västerbottensnytt stripped to her bikini as part of a segment on weather conditions in Tärnaby. With piste-keepers resorting to artificial snow, it was perfectly feasible for skiers to shed their winter wear and go jump in a lake.

This was illustrated by the camera operator zooming in on Albrektson’s cleavage as she prepared to brave the chilly waters.

Not acceptable, said SVT’s higher-ups, as a decision was taken to liberally apply the infamous blur effect that is generally reserved for heinous criminals.

Expressen TV is there with the before and after (segment follows a short advert).

Reinfeldt bursts into song (with Chavez on air guitar)

Miscellaneous: October 22nd, 2009 by PO

So it turns out that Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt has a beautiful singing voice. Watch and learn as he joins great musical talents such as Hugo Chavez, Gordon Brown and Barack Obama.

Listen without prejudice as the Täby tunesmith offers hope of “a better world to live in for future generations”.

We lost – crack open the champagne

Miscellaneous: October 2nd, 2009 by JS

We’d spent the afternoon practicing our Oscar-loser rictus smiles, in preparation for the moment that Dagens Nyheter was declared Digital Newspaper of the Year. The practice was not in vain.

Arriving at the gala at Stockholm’s Clarion Sign Hotel, we should perhaps have been nervous. Indeed, many of the other nominees appeared to be really on edge. But at The Local’s table we were just delighted to be plied with free food and booze. Besides, it was fun to have been invited to party with Sweden’s big media names.

It was really only after the winner was announced and we saw the delight on the faces of the DN.se staff that we realised that this was quite a big deal.

The staff of the website of one of Sweden’s oldest, highest-circulation and best-resourced newspapers (and a jolly good site it is too), were whooping for joy and cracking open the champagne when they won this prize. And we, the little ol’ Local, had managed to get nominated alongside them, despite having a tiny fraction of their resources and brand recognition.

That, in our book, was cause for a little celebration of our own.

Yes, we would have been even happier if we had won the big, shiny prize. But we’re still pretty chuffed. Honest.