From breaking news to insight in just hours

How Nettavisen captured public opinion in real time

A story breaks.
Interest surges.
Questions are everywhere – but answers are missing.

When NRK published its highly anticipated interview with Crown Princess Mette-Marit on Friday morning, the news cycle accelerated rapidly. In the interview – where she spoke publicly for the first time about her past connection to Jeffrey Epstein – strong reactions followed, while many questions remained unanswered.

For an extended period, speculation had been building, and media coverage had been intense. Expectations were therefore high to hear the Crown Princess’s own account of the events. When the interview was finally published, reactions were marked by both relief and continued uncertainty – how would the Norwegian public ultimately receive her response?

For Nettavisen, one of Norway’s largest digital news platforms, the priority was clear: to complement their coverage with something more than analysis and expert commentary.

How is the Norwegian public reacting – right now?

The answer: a national opinion poll, conducted and delivered the very same day.

Results from over 1,100 interviews – in just a few hours

InFact was contacted at 08:30 on the morning of March 20, as news broke that the Crown Princess would present her side of the story. The task was clear: quickly understand how public opinion was being shaped by the interview.

At the same time, timing was critical.

“We chose to wait slightly before launching the data collection, to give people time to actually watch the interview and form an opinion,” says Head of Analysis, Vegard Jarness.

Once fieldwork began, things moved fast.

By 14:30 – just a few hours later – more than 1,100 interviews had been completed and the results delivered.

The study was based on:

• A representative sample of the Norwegian population (18+)
• 1,000+ respondents per question
• Weighting by gender, age, and geography
• Margins of error down to ±1–3 percentage points
• Method: automated telephone interviews (IVR)

This meant the results could be published the same day – while the story was still dominating the news cycle.

There was no shortage of commentary and expert opinions. But through this survey, the voice of the public was also brought into the conversation – in real time.

👉 Read the article from Nettavisen

Instant Insight – when timing is everything

This is a clear example of our Instant Insight solution.

With Instant Insight, we rapidly collect reliable and representative data in direct connection to current events. This makes it possible to capture public opinion as it forms – in real time.

For editorial teams, organisations, and decision-makers, this means:

• Fast and relevant decision support
• The ability to complement news coverage with data
• Insights while the issue is still unfolding

Instant Insight is particularly useful when:

• an organisation needs fast decision support
• a newsroom wants to complement reporting with data
• you want to test reactions to a current statement or decision

Measuring in real time – with the right expectations

Conducting surveys this close to a breaking news event also comes with a responsibility in how results are interpreted.

These types of studies often capture initial reactions rather than long-term attitudes.

And that is precisely what makes them so valuable:

• They show how opinion is formed in real time
• They capture emotions before they stabilise
• They provide an early indication of where a question is heading

At the same time, results should always be understood in context – as a snapshot, not a final answer. In the case of the NRK interview, the survey captures a moment shaped by strong emotions, where reactions range from outrage and sympathy to uncertainty – before a more settled view has emerged.