Arvid Bryne, veteran foreign editor of Dagbladet, dies at 87

Arvid Bryne, the long-serving foreign editor of Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet, has died at the age of 87, the publication reported Sunday.

A journalist with a career spanning over three decades at Dagbladet, Bryne joined the paper in 1970 from news agency AP and remained until his retirement in 2005. He served four years as the newspaper’s New York correspondent before becoming foreign editor in 1986. In his later years, he wrote the daily column Dagboka (“The Diary”), a popular feature among readers.

Bryne covered major global events, including the Vietnam War in 1975, where he played a key role in the rescue operation for 28 Norwegian-adopted children stranded in Saigon during the fall of the city. Alongside other Norwegian journalists, he helped evacuate the children via the Philippines and the U.S. West Coast to safety in Norway.

His reporting also included the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests in Beijing, Nelson Mandela’s historic 1994 speech in South Africa, and numerous conflicts and political shifts. Beyond war zones, Bryne was known for his cultural and biographical work, authoring books on figures such as U.S. President Ronald Reagan—whom he covered extensively—NRK broadcasting legend Erik Bye, and painter Christian Krohg. In 2007, his book Vi sloss for Norge (“We Fought for Norway”), featuring interviews with Norwegian WWII veterans who fought on the Eastern Front, sparked national debate.

A versatile journalist, Bryne wrote on topics ranging from international affairs to medicine, helping pioneer health reporting in Norwegian news. Colleagues remembered him for his wide network of sources and his ability to excel in nearly every editorial role.

Born in Stavanger, Bryne was also part of Dagbladet’s transition to tabloid format in 1983. Outside his professional work, he was known for his global travels, once circumnavigating the world in 21 days with photographer Tom Martinsen—a journey documented in the newspaper.