This blog belongs to Jarle Petterson (b. 1962), proud father to Anders (b. 1988), Jørgen (b. 1991) and Alida (b. 2003) – and married to Malin (b. 1973). Simple math should tell you that the latter couldn’t possibly be the teenagers’ mother, which is a correct observation. I’m remarried, you see. Who isn’t, these days?
I’ve been blogging on different platforms since March 2002, over at Blogger and WordPress, via my own domain and back, in reversed order, to WordPress again and, for now, on this domain.
The way blogging has developed, more or less into a social arena, I’m reluctant to call myself a blogger, especially as I primarily lurk in the outskirts of same arena, not partaking in the socialising taking place. Still, I do keep a blog, however sporadic, but I simply can’t bring myself to blog anonymously. For one reason or the other I’m quite incapable of expressing opinions for which I cannot personally vouch.
Insignificances is generally reserved stray thoughts on this and that, primarily with a nonchalant devil may care view on things, although I’m everything but indifferent (it’s just that I’m not easily provoked). Whenever I feel an urge to express serious opinions, I do so in the iNorden international edition.
Prior to iNorden I launched the news site Depesjer (Dispatches) on 10 February 2006, with the affiliated site Borgerjournalistene.org (The Citizen Journalists), which now make out the backbone of iNorden, launched 29 October 2007. Apart from that I have a long track record in journalism and communication, starting in the conservative daily Morgenavisen (The Morning Paper) in 1981, at a time when a party press still was a factor to be counted with. Later I’ve written for several newspapers and periodicals, with relatively long breaks in advertising, communications and design, for instance in Ted Bates, as it was called, at that time part of the BSB network (Backer, Spielvogel and Bates), only to revisit journalism (this time on the Net), first in Norwegian daily Aftenposten, then NetDoctor’s Norwegian branch and, finally, CNN‘s Norwegian website. Please note: NettDoktor.no is currently run by one of our former med school interns, who bought the domain and the old content some years ago. Apart from that, the service bears little resemblance with the original site. Which is completely beside the point, being that I regard myself a twice over dotcom casualty.
After four years as head of corporate communications in a Norwegian HR and IT company, I returned to a freer role as consultant/freelance journalist in 2005. The decline in Mainstream media’s quality has brought about a heartfelt ambivalence towards the idea of re-assuming a position in the press, even though I still freelance for it on occasions. Still, I live for journalism, to such an extent that I’ve been working 24/7 with Depesjer/Borgerjournalistene and iNorden for the past two years, quietly hoping that increased user/reader participation may contribute to the much needed reformation of the deteriorating press. Which, unfortunately, I no longer do.
Either way you won’t get far without an income, which is why I offer my services through my own communications agency, Pergament (Parchment). If you’re in need of copy writing, design, printed material, a website, a customer magazine — or anything remotely related to communications, please just say the word.