Nordicom

NEW NORDICOM REVIEW ARTICLE! Read it Open Access here: https://sciendo.com/de/article/10.2478/njms-2024-0002

📍 The fact that politicians adapt to a media logic during interviews and campaigns is well established. The authors of this article show that they also do so in the parliament, where politicians themselves set the rules. During the 100 years of parliamentary proceedings analysed, there is a shift in the power dynamics: from news media following along with the parliamentary logic, to a situation where news coverage can no longer be taken for granted.

💬 “To better suit the news media, speeches in parliament have become shorter and stacked with short, repeated slogans. Shorter speeches and catchy slogans make parliamentary politics more accessible, but there is also a risk of political messages becoming fragmented and oversimplified”, say Johan Johan Jarlbrink and Fredrik Mohammadi Norén.

NEW BOOK PUBLISHED! Read it Open Access here: https://www.nordicom.gu.se/en/publications/digital-backlash-and-paradoxes-disconnection

📍 The Digital Backlash and the Paradoxes of Disconnection, edited by Kristoffer Albris (Københavns Universitet - University of Copenhagen), Karin Fast (Karlstad University), Faltin Karlsen (Kristiania University College), Anne Kaun (Södertörn University), Stine Lomborg (Københavns Universitet - University of Copenhagen), and Trine Syvertsen (University of Oslo).

The contributions of this book demonstrate how we are currently in a historical moment of digital critique, or digital backlash, and how this is expressed across different domains of society.

💬 “It now seems like the hype of the 1990s and 2000s is being replaced by scepticism. How this scepticism is expressed, and how people navigate such a “post-digital” world, is what this book is about. It’s important to understand for anyone who cares about the future of the world we live in”, say the editors.

The body can be innovatively understood as a tool for political persuasion. This study, by Heba Sigurdardottir and Hanna Rautajoki at Tampere University reveals how feminist activists utilise TikTok to visually politicise the body through nuanced facial expressions and gestures, conveying emotional evaluations and judgments on storied issues of inequality and violence. The findings also show how even the mundane gestures of the body can serve as a symbolic tool in the pursuit of social change.

🗨️ "Our research shows how individuals can approach politics visually and through the means of bodily rhetoric, which requires different sets of political articulations, know-how, and argumentative skills. In other words, it is a different way to do politics that does not only rely on verbal articulation but on semiotic meaning-building using popular culture as its source material, such as music, emotions, and mediality of the body".

📍 Read the article "Embodying scenes of moral disorder: Bodily gestures as a site of signification in feminist TikTok activism" in the latest issue of Nordic Journal of Media Studies: https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/njms-2024-0002

New issue of our newsletter Nordic Media Policy is out! You will find news on:

🇫🇮 Statistics Finland’s savings requirements risk reducing the amount of Finnish media statistics.

🇩🇰 Denmark has received the green light from the EU Commission in Brussels to raise the cap on some selective media subsidies.

🇸🇪 Sweden has received new recommendations for children’s screen time from the national Public Health Agency.

🇳🇴 The government in Norway is developing a national strategy for an open and enlightened public conversation.

🇮🇸 In Iceland, children and young people’s media possession and social media use have been mapped.

Read more updates and subscribe to out newsletters here: https://www.nordicom.gu.se/en/latest/newsletters

📢 Call for papers:

Extremism on social media: Nordic perspectives

The SMIDGE research project (HorizonEurope), Department of Nordic Studies and Linguistics at Københavns Universitet - University of Copenhagen, and Nordicom invite scholars from a broad range of disciplines to submit extended abstracts for a special issue of Nordicom Review.

The issue will focus on contemporary trends in extremism on social media in the Nordic countries, including mainstreaming processes, hybrid threats, conspiracy theories, and social media practices and phenomena, which enable shifts toward the extremes of the Nordic public cultures.

📍 Read more: https://www.nordicom.gu.se/en/latest/news/call-papers-extremism-social-media-nordic-perspectives

Photo: Kirill Gorlov - stock.adobe.com

📍 NEW ISSUE OF NORDIC JOURNAL OF MEDIA STUDIES PUBLISHED! Read it Open Access here: https://sciendo.com/issue/NJMS/6/1

Nordic Journal of Media Studies (Vol. 6, 2024). Media and gender: A Nordic perspective, edited by Tina Askanius (Malmö University), Jill Walker Rettberg (Universitetet i Bergen), and Eli Skogerbø (University of Oslo)

In the wake of the global movement that swept across the world in 2017 and onwards, there has been a rapid shift in public conversations around gender inequality in the Nordic countries.

“The articles included in this issue cover a broad range of empirical and conceptual contributions reflecting both longstanding issues and emerging trends in the discussion on media and gender”, say the editors.

Read about what the participants in our workshop last week had to say about their experience 👇

In Their Debut Workshop, Nordicom's Editors Help Doctoral Students Navigate Academic Publishing - NordMedia Network Nordicom recently hosted its first-ever workshop on academic publishing, tailored for doctoral students. The event drew young scholars from across the Nordic region, offering them a valuable opportunity to navigate the complexities of the publishing process and gain insights from Nordicom’s experi...

Summertime means a break in the EU’s legislative work, but several important reports regarding European media have been presented lately, while warnings of a deteriorating situation for the media in Slovakia and Italy persist and the Musk-Breton fight deepens.

Read the new issue of our newsletter European Media Policy and subscribe: https://www.nordicom.gu.se/en/latest/newsletters

Over two days, 18 doctoral students from across the Nordic countries gathered in Gothenburg to attend our workshop on academic journal publishing. Thanks to all participants for the interesting and engaging conversations on this diverse and sometimes intricate topic.

"As this was our first time organising something like this, we were a bit nervous to see how it would be received," says Magnus Fredriksson, editor of Nordicom’s academic publications.

"Everyone here at Nordicom agrees that this has been a very rewarding and successful initiative from which we have all mutually benefited."

Some very exciting news to kick off the new academic year: Nordicom Review has been admitted into the Web of Science 🎉👇

Nordicom Review Enters Web of Science with a 2.0 Journal Impact Factor - NordMedia Network Nordicom Review has been admitted into the Web of Science, a major achievement in academic publishing. With a 2023 Journal Impact Factor of 2.0, the journal now ranks in the 72nd percentile among more than 200 international Communications journals.

Nordicom leaves for summer vacation and will take a break from social media 🌴

Looking for something to read? On our website you’ll find some great books and articles to get you through lazy summer days: 📍 http://nordicom.gu.se

Thank you for following us! See you again in August 👋

Yesterday the Norwegian Institute of Journalism had a book launch! Mona Solvoll, Ragnhild Kristine Olsen, & Siri Skaalmo presented the newly published book by Nordicom, Innovation Through Crisis: Journalism and News Media in Transition. Thanks to all of you who came and listened!

Download the book Open Access: https://www.nordicom.gu.se/sv/publikationer/innovation-through-crisis

Arne H. Krumsvik and David L. Francis find that in the aftermath of the Covid-19 crisis, newspaper leaders did not want to make any dramatic changes, rather they prioritised incremental change.

"Improving market positions, products and services, and the existing revenue streams were top priorities. This was not the time to redefine either the concept of newspapers or the genres of journalism", says the authors.

📍 Read the chapter "The effects of an external crisis on the prioritisation of innovations" in the anthology "Innovation Through Crises: Media, News, and Organisations in Transition".

🔗 https://norden.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2%3A1864744&dswid=-7062

This chapter, written by Ragnhild Kr. Olsen, Cecilie Asker and Maria Konow-Lund examines the advantages and challenges associated with teleworking during the Covid-19 crisis. While digital tools offered efficiency and flexibility, physical newsrooms remained essential for fostering creativity and nurturing organizational culture.

"Our study suggests that nurturing news workers’ creativity represents a particular challenge in a telework setting. Consequently, news organisations must consider which journalistic jobs can be fully digitalised and which ones require news workers to meet physically. Creative processes may be one area where employees – even those thriving in their working-from-home solitude – are expected to participate physically as team members", says Olsen.

📍Read the chapter "Exploring telework innovation’s value for news workers" in the anthology "Innovation Through Crises: Media, News, and Organisations in Transition".

🔗 https://norden.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2%3A1864741&dswid=-4850

In the chapter “Crisis-driven newsroom innovation”, Junai Mtchedlidze finds four main factors contributing to the rapid innovations in newsrooms: the need for information in the population; initiative among the news staff; collaboration among editorial developers and journalists; and existing technological expertise in the newsrooms.

This study examines the Covid-19 crisis as an exogeneous factor contributing to the innovation in newsrooms.
In addition to the contribution to research, the study can be utilised as a guide within the media industry to better understand the needs and requirements of innovation during crisis. The study also contributes with a new concept – crisis-driven newsroom innovation – which has not been outlined before in the field of media studies.

📍 Chapter in the book "Innovation Through Crisis: Journalism and News Media in Transition".

🔗 https://norden.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2%3A1864735&dswid=7724

This chapter sheds light on the economic resilience of Norwegian news media during the Covid-19 pandemic, with a particular focus on the shifts in revenues within the newspaper industry amidst the crisis. Some media outlets thrived, leveraging increased digital consumption and advertising, while others faced cash-flow issues.

The study, by Jens Barland and Ragnhild Kr. Olsen demonstrates how the pandemic acted as a catalyst for the digital transformation of Norwegian newspapers, influencing both advertising and audience revenues. The crisis stimulated a surge in online shopping and digital news consumption, benefiting those newspapers that were prepared to adapt to these changing market dynamics.

📍Read the chapter "The digital shift in news media’s revenue streams during the Covid-19 pandemic" in the antholgy "Innovation Through Crises: Media, News, and Organisations in Transition".

🔗 https://norden.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2%3A1864730&dswid=-4145

It’s post-election time in Europe and the last months have been all about disinformation, with actions ahead of the elections, and analyses afterwards. There’s also concerns about the state of media freedom in Italy, and the situation for journalists in war.

Read about this and the latest developments in media policy at the EU level in the new issue of the European Media Policy newsletter 📧.

💌 Get the newsletter straight to your inbox next time. Don't forget to subscribe!

🔗 https://www.nordicom.gu.se/en/latest/newsletters

Nordicom’s Flagship Newsletters Garner Hundreds of Subscribers. Are You Missing Out? - NordMedia Network In 2023, Nordicom launched the Nordic Media Policy newsletter and revamped the European Media Policy newsletter, both of which have garnered considerable attention, amassing hundreds of subscribers. If you haven't already, subscribe today to stay informed on crucial developments in media policy.

The Covid-19 pandemic influenced news organisations positively because it provided an opportunity to test different ways of organising. Flexibility, creativity, autonomy, and solidarity stand out as the most constructive effects of the years in lock-down, restrictions, and remote work.

"The Covid-19 pandemic influenced everyone on the globe, though differently. The long-term effects are hard to foresee, but documentation of this historically important event is valuable", says author Gudrun Rudningen.

📍 Read her chapter "Positive renewal in newsrooms through crisis in crisis" in the anthology "Innovation Through Crises: Media, News, and Organisations in Transition".

🔗 https://norden.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2%3A1864729&dswid=918

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Norwegian new media adapted using three key strategies:

👉 Bounce-back: Quick adjustments to maintain stability.
👉 Bounce-forward: Creating new digital products and services for long-term change.
👉 Bounce-beyond: Emphasizing collaboration and community engagement, leading to radical organisational changes.

💬 "Although the crisis spurred a more service- and audience-oriented mindset, the sustainability of these changes remains uncertain", says author Mona Solvoll.

Solvoll's chapter contributes valuable insights into how organisations can navigate crises, promote innovation, and foster resilience emphasising the importance of adapting and innovating during challenging times, with implications extending beyond the news media industry to other sectors facing similar challenges.

📍Read the chapter "Innovations in resilience strategies during the Covid-19 pandemic" in the anthology "Innovation Through Crises: Media, News, and Organisations in Transition".

🔗 https://norden.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2%3A1864725&dswid=1402

NEW NORDICOM REVIEW ARTICLE! Read it Open Access here: https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/nor-2024-0018

The article, written by Elizabeth Solverson, explores how ordinary citizens, who are neither completely disengaged nor activists, interact with politics on social media. It unpacks the non-expressive political behaviours that young Norwegian citizens expect from each other in digital spaces, such as monitoring, critical consumption, and conscious curation. Additionally, it sheds light on how young people view citizenship as a team effort, with everyone playing different roles, but working together to fulfil their collective civic responsibilities.

"This study brings the everyday political experiences of ordinary, young citizens into the fold of political participation research and identifies normatively desirable yet feasible behaviours that align with contemporary norms of social media usage", says Solverson

📑 "Active spectating in the digital public sphere: A qualitative exploration".

"This chapter presents three key concepts – crisis, resilience, and innovation – that are central to our empirical investigation of how Norwegian news media coped with the Covid-19 pandemic".

Ragnhild Kr. Olsen and Mona K. Solvoll summarise insights from various strands of innovation literature into six building blocks of innovation. These key factors of innovation in journalism are further explored in the empirical chapters of the new book "Innovation Through Crises: Media, News, and Organisations in Transition".

📍 https://norden.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2%3A1864714&dswid=-3363

NEW BOOK PUBLISHED! Read it Open Access here: https://www.nordicom.gu.se/sv/publikationer/innovation-through-crisis

Innovation Through Crisis: Journalism and News Media in Transition, edited by Ragnhild Kristine Olsen (OsloMet - Oslo Metropolitan University) and Mona Solvoll (BI Norwegian Business School).

The book, featuring several empirical studies, provides insights into the interplay between innovation, crisis, and resilience within Norwegian news media during the uncertain times of the Covid-19 pandemic.

"It offers new knowledge on news organisations’ resilience strategies and their ability to create value for themselves, their audiences, and for the broader society during times of unprecedented uncertainty", says Olsen.

Warm congratulations to all the contributors: Gudrun Rudningen, Jens Barland, Junai Mtchedlidze, Cecilie Asker, Maria Konow-Lund, Arne H. Krumsvik & David L. Francis.

Thank you from the Nordicom team for publishing with us!