Who Is Helle Lyng? Journalist Who Questioned PM Modi in Norway Reappears in Australia, NZ, Says 'Impact Is Spreading'

Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng’s challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Oslo about press freedom has sparked a broader discussion in Australia and New Zealand.

When Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng called out Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Oslo in May with the question, “Why don’t you take some questions from the freest press in the world?”, she may have sparked a conversation that has now followed the Indian leader to Australia and New Zealand.

After a journalist in New Zealand posed a similar question to an Indian diplomat during Modi’s visit, Lyng took to X to say she was encouraged to see the debate spreading beyond Norway. Her remarks came a day after an Australian television reporter observed that Modi “famously avoids unscripted news conferences.”

“It is nice to see that other countries are continuing the discussion about declining press freedom in India,” Lyng wrote after videos of the New Zealand exchange circulated online.

She said she had hoped the conversation would continue beyond Norway.

“That was a part of my goal when I decided to do over 30 interviews with press from all around the world after the ‘Norway incident’,” she wrote on X.

Lyng also argued that journalists from countries such as Norway and New Zealand have a responsibility to raise such issues when world leaders visit.

“Reporters working from countries such as NZ and Norway have an extra responsibility when state leaders visit. Even small countries can contribute and make a difference. I am glad some Indians found it valuable. That’s what made it important,” she said while responding to an X user.

Reflecting on the criticism she faced after the Oslo episode, Lyng suggested the backlash had been worthwhile if it helped sustain the conversation.

“The scrutiny of me and my ‘character’ was worth it if the conversation about press freedom continues,” she wrote, adding, “This genuinely makes me feel like I had a small impact. Which is what journalism is and should be.”

She also questioned the Indian government’s explanation that Prime Minister Modi prefers to engage directly with people instead of holding press conferences.

Calling it “an interesting response,” Lyng wrote: “Does this mean the PM usually meet people in town hall settings to answer questions about their daily life problems then? I have not seen him engage directly with the Cockroach [Janta] Party, which is a grassroots movement. Correct me if I am wrong.”

The latest discussion was triggered on Friday when a journalist in Auckland asked Ministry of External Affairs Secretary (East) Rudrendra Tandon why Prime Minister Modi had not addressed a press conference during his visit to New Zealand.

Tandon defended the Prime Minister’s outreach, saying Modi regularly communicates through public speeches and interactions while pointing to India’s democratic institutions.

A day earlier, a clip from Modi’s Australia visit also gained traction online after a 7News reporter told viewers: “This is about as close as you would get to Narendra Modi on his trip to Melbourne. He famously avoids unscripted news conferences, preferring instead more stage-managed appearances.”

The video was widely shared by Opposition leaders and commentators in India, reigniting a long-running debate over Modi’s decision not to hold a solo press conference since taking office in 2014.

The Oslo incident

The debate first gained international attention during Modi’s visit to Norway in May, when Lyng called out to the Prime Minister during a joint media appearance in Oslo.

After Modi walked past without responding, Lyng later questioned MEA Secretary (West) Sibi George at a separate media briefing on issues relating to press freedom and human rights in India.

After Modi walked past without responding, Lyng later questioned MEA Secretary (West) Sibi George at a separate media briefing on issues relating to press freedom and human rights in India.

George rejected the criticism, describing India as the “mother of democracy” and citing the country’s Constitution, judiciary, media and civil society as evidence of its democratic values.

Back in India, the exchange quickly became politically charged. BJP leaders and government supporters praised George’s response, while Opposition parties argued that the episode highlighted the Prime Minister’s continued reluctance to face unscripted questions from journalists.

Questions over Modi’s engagement with the media have surfaced repeatedly during his tenure. While the Prime Minister regularly addresses election rallies, public meetings, official events and grants interviews to selected media organisations, he has not held a solo press conference since assuming office in 2014.

One of the few occasions on which he took questions from journalists came during a joint press appearance with then US President Joe Biden at the White House in June 2023. Responding to a question on minority rights in India, Modi said, “Democracy is in our DNA,” adding that there was “absolutely no space for discrimination” in the country.