Amund Trellevik

Amund Trellevik began his journalistic career on the west coast of Sotra in the early 1990s, when, as a young boy, he produced his own newspapers on his parents’ brand-new computer.

In Norway, people are said to be born with skis on their feet. Some might argue that Trellevik was born with a pen in his hand. Others would say that journalism has become so deeply woven into his life that the line between the person and the journalist has all but disappeared. Based in Northern Norway, Trellevik has for many years covered Russia and the former Soviet states, Arctic politics, and defence and security policy. His work is driven by a strong interest in civil society, human rights, media freedom, and the conditions under which journalists and editors operate when under pressure.

A former football referee, he draws explicit parallels between officiating and journalism: both require accuracy, impartiality, and the ability to make firm, fact-based decisions, often under scrutiny and disagreement. He serves as Chair of Barents Press Norway and is a board member of Norwegian PEN. “Choosing not to respond is also a response,” Trellevik often remarks when those in power decline to answer the media’s calls.

Outside of work, he devotes much of his time to his favourite football club, SK Brann—a demanding commitment, both mentally and financially—which frequently takes him across Norway and Europe to follow the Bergen-based team.