Intervening by staying professional: How Nordic environmental journalists make sense of their roles

• Published in: Nordicom Review
• Main Authors: Hujanen Jaana, Jangdal Lottie, Dovbysh Olga, Andersen Ida Vikøren, Kolbeins Guðbjörg Hildur, Lehtisaari Katja, Oivo Teemu
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Sciendo 2024
• Subjects: journalistic roles; journalistic role perceptions; nordic countries; environmental reporting; climate journalism; Communication. Mass media; P87-96; Norway; Iceland
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.2478/nor-2024-0022; https://doaj.org/article/76b7ca4907a44f23b4d5e8c45b7be086

The notion of intervention is gaining traction among Western environmental journalists. While existing research has predominantly focused on countries outside the Nordic region, in our study we investigate the self-perceptions of professional journalists in the Nordic countries of Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Through semi-structured interviews, we examine the roles that Nordic journalists construct when reflecting on covering the environmental beat, paying particular attention to how they make sense of the idea of intervening – that is, their involvement in interpreting, making sense of, and engaging the public in environmental issues. Using thematic qualitative analysis to analyse the interviews, we have identified four journalistic roles: 1) objective news provider, 2) critical watchdog, 3) sense-maker and educator, and 4) environmental advocate. Our findings suggest that Nordic journalists intervene byadhering to professional norms and practices and renegotiating them. While the role of objective news provider remains prominent among Nordic journalists, it is intertwined with various forms of intervention across all identified roles.