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

• Main Authors: Hujanen, J, Jangdal, L, Dovbysh, O, Andersen, IV, Kolbeins, GH, Lehtisaari, K, Oivo, T
• Other Authors: Swedish School of Social Science, Journalism and Communication, Aleksanteri Institute - Finnish Centre for Russian and East European Studies, Russian and Eurasian Studies (Aleksanteri Institute), Faculty Common Matters (Faculty of Social Sciences), Media and Communication Studies
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: NORDICOM, Göteborg University 2024
• Subjects: Nordic countries; Climate journalism; Environmental reporting; Journalistic role perceptions; Journalistic roles; Media and communications; Norway; Iceland
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10138/587135

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 Peer reviewed