Factoring Size into the Equation: Media studies, politics, and small states

• Published in: Nordic Journal of Media Studies
• Main Author: Ólafsson, Jón Gunnar
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Walter de Gruyter GmbH 2020
• Subjects: Iceland
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/njms-2020-0013; https://content.sciendo.com/view/journals/njms/2/1/article-p145.xml; https://www.sciendo.com/pdf/10.2478/njms-2020-0013

Abstract In this article, I discuss how the world's smallest states, including Iceland, are routinely absent in research and comparative studies concerning media and politics. Size has up until now mostly been ignored as a possible factor in understanding media systems and the relationship between media and politics on the national level. Existing research from other academic fields, such as public administration and economics, has revealed an important finding: small states have unique characteristics that differentiate them from larger states. They can therefore not simply be viewed as smaller versions of large states that have been central in knowledge production. Arguably, a Nordic perspective in media research needs to incorporate the size variable into the research agenda. This article illustrates how this expanded agenda will enrich our understanding of media and politics in the Nordic countries and open up new areas of study on small and large states more generally.