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I am interested in how media matter for democracy. In modern democratic societies, it is common to think that the media are key for the people's rule: The idea is that the media constitute the infrastructure for the public sphere, as channels and arenas where information about politics can be disseminated and discussed, and where the citizens can present their problems for the rulers. I am interested in how well this idea works in practice - at different times through history, with different media technologies, and under different regimes. 

In my current research, I study how media matter for democracy from a user perspective. For this purpose, I co-founded the at our department, which i head together with . In 2022, I was awarded an ERC Consolidator Grant to launch a new project called "Distributed and prepared. A new theory of citizens’ public connection networks in the age of datafication (PREPARE)".

In my PhD thesis, I studied how media policy in different countries facilitated such a role in the internet era through the regulation of publicly funded broadcasting institutions like the BBC and NRK. A main finding was that media policy, and the regulation of these institutions, did not acknowledge the features that make the web stand out from other media platforms, while at the same time these organisations operated as public service media across platforms. I later studied how such institutions used social media.

Together with colleagues at the University of Oslo and at our department, I have also analyzed media systems in the Nordic region. A key point has been to show what is often referred to as the Nordic welfare state model cannot be understood without concern for the media. 

I have also been interested in how social media like Twitter is used for political debate. With , I have worked on analyses of Twitter use during election campaigns in Norway, Sweden and Denmark. This collaboration also led to contributions to debates on research ethics and methods for internet research. The empirical analysis have among other things confirmed the hunch that attention is unevenly distributed online, and that it pays to have a position offline to get heard online.

I teach courses on media and democracy, media use, new media technologies, media policy, media institutions and media history.

The most recent master course I have taught are News use, online media and democracy and Advanced topic in media use research. I've also recently a course for exchange students on Norwegian media, and the introductory course to media and communication in our program.

I also supervise master students and PhD-candidates. Get in touch to discuss project ideas!

Ny bok i mai 2024:

2023-2027 "Distributed and prepared. A new theory of citizens’ public connection networks in the age of datafication (PREPARE)". PI. Funded by The European Research Council, Consolidator Grant.

2021-2025 "". WP-leader. Funded by the Research Council of Norway, headed by Brita Ytre-Arne, Uni Bergen.

2021-2022 "Understanding those who don't pay for news". PI. Funded by the Norwegian Media Authority.

2021-2028 "". WP-co-leader. Funded by the Research Council of Norway, headed by Christoph Trattner, Uni Bergen. 

2020-2022 “Datafication, Media and Democracy: Transformation of news work in datafied society”. Supervisor, EU Marie Curie postdoc project with Ana Milolojevic.

2020-2021 "Freedom of Speech in Norway 2020-2022". Work package leader, funded by Freedom of Speech Foundation, headed by Kjersti Thorbjørnsrud, ISF. 

2019-2023 "Intrusive media, ambivalent users, and digital detox" (Digitox). Partner, funded by The Research Council of Norway, headed by Trine Syvertsen, Uni Oslo. .

Past projects:

2016-2021 "" (MeCIn). Prosjektleder. Finansiert gjennom Norsk forskningsråds KULMEDIA-program. 

2016-2020 "The Immigration Issue in Scandinavian Public Spheres 1970-2015" (SCANPUB). Prosjektdeltager. Finansiert gjennom Norsk forskningsråds TOPPFORSK-program. Prosjektleder: Jostein Gripsrud. 

2013-2014 "A Longitudinal Analysis of the NRK Online News”. Project manager, funded by Rådet for anvendt medieforskning. Cooperation with the group

2009-2012 "Online media participation and the transformation of the public sphere". Funded by the Research Council of Norway.

2008-2010 "Class, higher education, media use and cultural taste". w/Jostein Gripsrud and Jan Fredrik Hovden, funded by Rådet for anvendt medieforskning.

2004-2008 "Public Broadcasters, the Internet, and Democracy. Comparing Policy and Exploring Public Service Media Online". PhD project.