Indian media smear campaign targets Norwegian journalist after Modi avoids press freedom question
New Delhi: Indian media and pro-government influencers have launched a smear campaign against Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng Svendsen after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi avoided answering a question on press freedom during his May 2026 visit to Norway. The journalist cited India’s 157th rank in the RSF Press Freedom Index compared to Norway’s 1st.
According to Kashmir Media Service, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Norway in May 2026, Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng Svendsen of Dagsavisen posed a legitimate question on press freedom. Prime Minister Modi walked away without responding.
Instead of substantive engagement, sections of Indian Godi media and pro-Modi government influencers launched a coordinated smear campaign, falsely painting the journalist as a “Soros agent,” “global left operative,” and anti-India activist.
Helle Lyng Svendsen is a regular journalist and commentator associated with Dagsavisen, a small Oslo newspaper with circulation under 14,000 that has historical links to the Norwegian Labour Party. She previously worked as an economics journalist at Nettavisen, served as a US correspondent, and has freelanced for various outlets. Her reporting beat primarily covers housing, economy, labour, and domestic politics.
No direct personal connection to George Soros has been proven. Claims circulating in Indian media rely on indirect and unverified links, including alleged but unconfirmed grants from the FrittOrd Foundation (which itself receives some funding connected to Open Society), her earlier neutral reporting on China, and selective interpretation of her social media activity. Helle Lyng Svendsen has publicly denied receiving any payment or being directed to ask the question.
The campaign has drawn criticism for its irony.
Indian journalist Sudhir Chaudhary, who once faced arrest and was jailed in Tihar in 2012 for allegedly attempting to extort Rs 100 crore from the Jindal Group in connection with the coal scam (along with a prior 2008 case), led much of the moral outrage while “teaching” the young Norwegian journalist about ethics.
This predictable “Godi Media” tactic of character assassination appears aimed at deflecting legitimate scrutiny. Critics argue it ultimately damages India’s image far more than the original question about press freedom rankings.
