There were many reasons for establishing the newspaper, but the most important was perhaps that it had become very difficult to express viewpoints which were critical of NATO and western capitalism in general.
Orientering was therefore opposed to Norwegian membership in NATO, but also gave extensive independence in the imperialism suitable for analysis of international relations.
It climaxed with the question of the proposed stockpiling of atomic weaponry in Norway when the national congress in the Labor Party passed a resolution in 1961 allowing for this.
Gustavsen was one of the party's first two representatives to the Norwegian Parliament and relinquished the role of editor to Evang.
Orientering became the advocate of the Socialist People's Party; at the same time the newspaper doubled its frequency to releasing a new issue weekly.