Authentic youth voices in journalism
Ung debatt (translated as young debate) is a Norwegian startup that finds, edits and supplies opinion pieces written by young adults, to Norwegian newspapers. Verified young voices can submit their opinions on a streamlined platform and journalists can easily access, evaluate and publish these perspectives on their own platforms.
The problem and the solution
Traditional media often struggle to reach younger audiences or decently represent their perspectives. Ung debatt addresses this challenge through a two-sided platform: on one side, youth users log into the web application and verify their identities using secure Norwegian systems. This ensures that all users are real individuals and within the target age group (typically 16-30). If contributors are over 30, they are encouraged to send their texts directly to newspapers themselves.
On the other side, journalists access a dashboard containing these reviewed youth opinion pieces, ready for review and potential publication.
The system guarantees a high degree of legitimacy: every opinion submitted undergoes moderation for appropriateness and relevance. Contact details are even accessible to journalists (in compliance with GDPR) for potential follow-up, which makes the integration seamless into existing newsroom workflows.
UngDebatt has already engaged with leading media organizations, including TV 2 Norway, a Norwegian commercial broadcaster and tenant at Media Cluster Norway. TV 2 has acted as a pilot customer, publishing several youth opinions sourced through Ung debatt’s platform.
Platform in action
For journalists, the platform offers a smooth experience. After logging in, they access a dashboard displaying all incoming youth opinions. They can filter, request specific topics and copy text into their systems. Once an article is published, the system automatically marks it as such and assures exclusivity. This prevents duplicate publication by other outlets without explicit permission. All opinions are reviewed manually, ensuring editorial control and integrity. However, the team is exploring AI-assisted tools such as Factiverse, a Bergen-based startup, specializing in automated fact-checking solutions for media.
Ung debatt receives and publishes many op-eds, over 40 since February, a strong number given the size of the team and current reach. As the platform grows, this number is expected to increase significantly.
What’s in it for young people?
For young people, Ung debatt offers a unique opportunity to have their voices heard in established media outlets, something that is often inaccessible or intimidating. By providing a trusted platform, Ung debatt ensures that youth opinions are not just collected, but actually published, reviewed and taken seriously by journalists and editors.
Young people access the platform by logging into a web-based application where they verify their identity through Norwegian digital services. This login process ensures all users are real and meet the platform’s age criteria. If their content is selected by a media outlet, journalists can securely contact them directly via the platform, ensuring a smooth and GDPR-compliant process.
Scaling up
With a functional prototype, active users and validation from media partners, Ung debatt is now entering a scale-up phase. The goal is to refine the platform, expand media partnerships, and take their place in the media innovation ecosystem. As Luqman Wadood, founder of Ung debatt, concluded “we’ve built the fundament, now we’re ready to scale and explore how far we can go.”
