The 2013 NordMedia conference in Oslo marked the 40 years that had passed since the very first Nordic media conference. To acknowledge this 40-year anniversary, it made sense to have a conference theme that dealt with a major and important topic: Defending Democracy. Nordic and Global Diversities in Media and Journalism. Focusing on the relationship between journalism, other media practices and democracy, the plenary sessions raised questions such as:

• What roles do media and journalism play in democratization processes and what roles should they play?
• How does the increasingly complex and omnipresent media field affect conditions for freedom of speech?

This special issue contains the keynote speeches of Natalie Fenton, Stephen Ward and Ib Bondebjerg. A number of the conference papers have been revised and edited to become articles. Together, the articles presented should give the reader an idea of the breadth and depth of current Nordic scholarship in the area.

Innehåll

• Foreword
• Harald Hornmoen, Kristin Skare Orgeret: 40 Years of Nordic Media Research. Introduction

PLENAR SESSIONS

• Kaarle Nordenstreng: The Significance of Nordicom and the NordMedia Conference to Nordic Media and Communication Research. Festive Tributes.
• Kirsten FrandsenThe Significance of Nordicom and the NordMedia Conference to Nordic Media and Communication Research. Festive Tributes.
• Rune OttosenThe Significance of Nordicom and the NordMedia Conference to Nordic Media and Communication Research. Festive Tributes.

Keynote Speeches

• Natalie Fenton: Defending Whose Democracy? Media Freedom and Media Power
• Stephen J.A. Ward: Radical Media Ethics. Responding to a Revolution
• Ib Bondebjerg: Cosmopolitan Narratives. Documentary and the Global ‘Other’

ARTICLES (revised papers)

Perspectives on Journalism

• Mark Blach-Ørsten, Rasmus Burkal: Credibility and the Media as a Political Institution
• Gitte Gravengaard, Lene Rimestad: Socializing Journalist Trainees in the Newsroom. On How to Capture the Intangible Parts of the Process
• Arne H. Krumsvik: Stability in Times of Change. Trends in Newspaper Executives’ Attitudes towards Digital Media

Media Influence and Influencing the Media

• Marko Ampuja, Juha Koivisto, Esa Väliverronen: Strong and Weak Forms of Mediatization Theory. A Critical Review
• Alon Lischinsky, Annika Egan Sjölander: Talking Green in the Public Sphere. Press Releases, Corporate Voices and the Environment
• Göran Palm, Håkan Sandström: Migration between Politics, Journalism and PR. New Conditions for Power, Citizenship and Democracy?
• Henrik G. Bastiansen: Norwegian Media and the Cold War 1945-1991
• Anne Jerslev: Celebrification, Authenticity, Gossip. The Celebrity Humanitarian

Cooperation, Experiences and Memory in Digital Communities and Formats

• Maria Mattus: The Anyone-Can-Edit Syndrome. Intercreation Stories of Three Featured Articles on Wikipedia
• Amanda Lagerkvist: A Quest for Communitas. Rethinking Mediated Memory Existentially
• Rikke Toft Nørgård: Talking Tacitly. Activities and Experiences in Higly Interactive Media
• Claus Toft-Nielsen: Worlds at Play. Space and Player Experience in Fantasy Computer Games
• Svein Høier: Surrounded by Ear Candy? The Use of Surround Sound in Oscar-nominated Movies 2000-2012

Epilogue

• Ulla Carlsson: NordMedia. A Vital Venue, Then as Now. Reflections on Media Research 1973-2013
• Elisabeth Eide: Fortysome Worries
• Division Papers
• Participants
• Programme