Kari Steen-Johnsen

• Haugsgjerd, Atle Hennum; Karlsen, Rune; Martins, Guri Barka & Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2026). Generativ KI i valgkampen 2025: Ny teknologi, etablerte medievaner. In Bergh, Johannes & Haugsgjerd, Atle Hennum (Ed.), Konflikt og mobilisering. En studie av stortingsvalget 2025. Cappelen Damm AS. p. 281–302. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  How much did generative AI matter in the 2025 Norwegian parliamentary election? This chapter approaches the question from the voters’ perspective, examining who used tools like ChatGPT and Claude during the campaign, what they used them for, and how much they trusted what these tools told them. We then turn from use to perception: how voters considered AI’s influence on themselves and on others, and whether they found it harder to tell true from false in an information environment increasingly shaped by AI-generated content. The results complicates both the optimistic and the alarmist accounts of AI’s arrival in electoral politics. The use of AI was concentrated in particular groups, and AI were used alongside established news sources. Situated at an early stage of generative AI’s integration into election campaigns, the analysis offers a baseline for tracking how this technology may reshape the political information environment in future elections.

• Steen-Johnsen, Kari; Thau, Mads & Vaccari, Cristian (2026). The road to citizenship: How discussing politics shapes political interest across the lifespan. International Political Science Review. doi: 10.1177/01925121261425446. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Political interest is key to explaining democratic outcomes such as political knowledge and participation, and its development has been particularly studied in the context of socialization processes during adolescence. Building on a theory of expression effects, this study highlights the relationship between political discussion and political interest among individuals age 15 and above. Based on a seven-year panel study in Norway ( n = 10,695), we estimate the effects of political discussion on interest in politics and assess whether they are contingent on age. We find that as people discuss politics more, their political interest increases over time. These effects are strongest among young adults but remain important through adulthood, only disappearing at retirement age. Our findings expand knowledge about how different political experiences may shape political attitudes and opens new avenues for the study of fluctuations and inequalities in political engagement.

• Steen-Johnsen, Kari; Fladmoe, Audun & Ihlebæk, Karoline Andrea (2025). Right-wing alternative media users in Scandinavia: A comparative study of ideological attitudes and (dis)trust. Nordicom Review. 46(2), p. 217–249. doi: 10.2478/nor-2025-0019. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Abstract The emergence of right-wing alternative media has raised concerns about the diffusion of radical ideas among citizens and growing distrust in the media and public institutions. Based on representative surveys in Denmark ( n = 1,958), Norway ( n = 2,009), and Sweden ( n = 1,991), we examine what characterises right-wing alternative media users in terms of political attitudes and political, media, and social trust. The analysis reveals that right-wing alternative media users in Scandinavia tend to affiliate with far-right parties, support far-right ideas, and express lower levels of trust in political institutions, traditional media, and unknown others. Among these, support for far-right ideas and a lack of trust in traditional media are the most important characteristics. While support for far-right ideas characterises right-wing alternative media users in all three countries, low trust in traditional media is a more important characteristic in Norway and Sweden than in Denmark. The study advances knowledge of the role of ideology vis-à-vis various forms of (dis)trust among right-wing alternative media users, showing that while alternative media use across the Scandinavian countries displays a set of similarities, such use is also formed by national context.

• Karlsen, Rune & Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2025). Nyheter, valgomater og sosiale nettverk: informasjon og lokalpolitisk orientering i valgkampen. In Saglie, Jo; Segaard, Signe Bock & Christensen, Dag Arne (Ed.), Lokalvalgene 2023: maktforskyvning og normalisering. Cappelen Damm Akademisk. p. 155–175. doi: 10.23865/cdf.251.ch6. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Denne antologien setter søkelys på hjertet i det lokale representative demokratiet; alle de lokale valgene som ble holdt rundt om i vårt langstrakte land 11. september 2023. Hvert fjerde år velger folket representanter til kommunestyret og fylkestinget. Gjennom valget stikkes den politiske retningen ut, og de folkevalgte får mandat til å beslutte på vegne av velgerne de neste fire årene. Det er også i valg politikere og partier blir straffet eller belønnet for tidligere innsats. Med utgangspunkt i et rikholdig datamateriale som inkluderer blant annet en velgerundersøkelse gjennomført ved hvert valg siden 1995, manntall- og registerdata, data over samtlige kandidater som stilte til valg, samt kvalitative intervjuer og dokumentdata, belyser boken ulike sider ved det lokale demokratiet – i valg og mellom valg – anno 2023. På velgernivået ser vi blant annet på velgeratferd, valgkamp og valgdeltakelse samt tillit til politikere og til egne påvirkningsmuligheter. Vi ser også på lokalpolitikernes representativitet og deres erfaringer med hets og sjikane. Hensikten med boken er å ta temperaturen på vårt lokale demokrati i en valgperiode preget av politiske, samfunnsmessige og økonomiske omveltninger. Vi studerer lokaldemokratiet i et noe bredere perspektiv enn tidligere lokalvalgundersøkelser ved å i større grad ta inn det fylkeskommunale nivået, som har vært underbelyst både i lokalvalgforskningen og i den offentlige debatten til tross for nivåets politiske og demokratiske aktualitet.

• Sundet, Vilde Schanke; Steen-Johnsen, Kari & Andersen, Mads Møller (2025). Influencer autonomy: Navigating authenticity, agencies, and algorithms. Nordic Journal of Media Studies. 7(1), p. 18–36. doi: 10.2478/njms-2025-0002. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In this article, we explore the often-overlooked concept of autonomy among influencers. We define influencer autonomy as the sense of control and self-governing freedom that influencers perceive in their everyday life and work. Based on in-depth interviews with 28 Norwegian influencers, influencer managers, and legacy media experts working with influencers, our research uncovers a complex interplay between influencers’ sense of autonomy and restraints emanating from their social environment. We argue that influencer autonomy is at the same time enabled and restricted by three structures: cultural norms, technological algorithms, and economic management. Understanding the space for autonomy within these structures is, we contend, crucial for deciphering power within the influencer industry. Our findings reveal that while influencer autonomy is always limited and partial, it remains a compelling narrative.

• Steen-Johnsen, Kari & Sundet, Vilde Schanke (2024). Theories of the Policy Process. In Puppis, Manuel; Mansell, Robin & Bulck, Hlilde Van den (Ed.), Handbook of Media and Communication Governance. Edward Elgar Publishing. p. 100–110. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This chapter provides an overview of general theoretical approaches to the policy process, and discusses how they may help to describe and interpret processes in the media and communication field. The six approaches discussed are: punctuated equilibrium theory, advocacy coalition framework, veto player theory, multiple streams approach, narrative policy framework, and the media policy field approach. None of these approaches is a ‘silver bullet’, but they provide a useful variety of analytical tools and explanatory models, and many can also be combined. Although media policy processes have distinct traits compared to other areas, general theories are still appropriate for their analysis. Engaging with holistic theories that aim to explain change at an overall level may help to advance media policy research. Moving beyond particular policy areas and sub-fields will increase the understanding of political, cultural and technological change in media and communication policy.

• Ihlen, Øyvind; Fladmoe, Audun & Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2024). Uncertainty Communication in a High-Trust Society: Source Type, Political Preference, and Trust. International Journal of Communication. 18, p. 219–247. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Studies of uncertainty communication have produced mixed results concerning the consequences for trust. In this article, we focus on uncertainty communication as it concerns trust in a message about vaccine effectiveness and safety, seeing source type and political preference as mediators. These factors have become increasingly important as public health issues are becoming politicized in several countries. To test these relationships, we conducted a survey experiment in Norway—a high-trust society. Our results show a consistent tendency that statements expressing certainty were trusted more, especially when the source of the statement was the government or public health authorities. Importantly, however, the differences between statements expressing certainty and uncertainty were small. Also, when asked about their trust in messages from the public health authorities, respondents’ political beliefs played a minor role. The relatively high acceptance of uncertainty communication may be interpreted in the light of generally high levels of trust in authorities, as well as low levels of polarization in the Norwegian context, in general, and in the context of the pandemic.

• Haugsgjerd, Atle Hennum; Karlsen, Rune & Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2023). Uninformed or Misinformed in the Digital News Environment? How Social Media News Use Affects Two Dimensions of Political Knowledge. Political Communication. doi: 10.1080/10584609.2023.2222070. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This article examines how the use of social media for news affects citizens’ knowledge about politics and current affairs. We employ a two-dimensional perspective on political knowledge and investigate how factual political knowledge, confidence in that knowledge, and misinformation, understood as the mismatch between factual political knowledge and confidence in knowledge, are related to social media news consumption. While earlier studies have suggested a negative relationship between social media news consumption and factual knowledge, there are indications that social media use may give people a general sense of being informed, even when they are not. Such general subjective knowledge might, however, differ from confidence in retrieved facts. Drawing on a two-wave panel study from Norway, we find evidence of a negative relationship between social media news consumption and both dimensions of knowledge. Notably, however, we do not find that social media news use leads to confidence in incorrect beliefs, suggesting that the digital media environment produces an uninformed, but not an overconfident, misinformed news audience.

• Boulianne, Shelley & Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2023). Civic and political volunteering: the mobilizing role of websites and social media in four countries. Journal of Information Technology & Politics (JITP). p. 1–17. doi: 10.1080/19331681.2023.2211974. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This study examines the role of digital media in civic and political engagement, specifically the respective roles of websites vs. social media in relation to volunteering. The study uses four-country (United States, United Kingdom, France, and Canada) survey data collected in 2019 and 2021 (n = 12,359). For both types of volunteering, we find that organizations’ websites are more strongly correlated with volunteering compared to following organizations on social media. We replicate this finding across multiple countries, two types of analysis, and volunteering for civic and political organizations. Our findings suggest that the informational role of websites is of greater importance than the creation of quasi-membership ties inherent to social media when it comes to mobilizing volunteers. However, engaging in both online activities has the strongest relationship with volunteering, suggesting a need for multi-method communication strategy. This finding is important with respect to developing communication strategies in civic and political groups.

• Steen-Johnsen, Kari & Enjolras, Bernard Louis (2023). Makt- og demokratiutredningen og framveksten av den digitale offentligheten. Norsk sosiologisk tidsskrift. doi: 10.18261/nost.7.4-5.6. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Makt- og demokratiutredningen konkluderte pessimistisk når det gjaldt borgernes fremtidige mulighet til å delta i demokratiet utenfor valgkanalen og få gjennomslag overfor det politiske systemet. Problemet besto i en svekkelse av sivilsamfunnet som demokratisk infrastruktur, grunnet forvitringen av folkebevegelsesmodellen og en individualisering av deltagelse. I denne artikkelen diskuterer vi utredningens analyser og konklusjoner i lys av eksisterende forskning. Vi tar et bredere perspektiv enn det utredningen gjorde og inkluderer både det organiserte sivilsamfunnet og offentligheten som kanaler for deltagelse og innflytelse. Omdreiningspunktet for analysen er digitalisering av kommunikasjon, og hvordan det har påvirket denne helheten. De siste 20 årene har det organiserte sivilsamfunnet vært preget av vekst og pluralisering, med styrkede muligheter både til mobilisering og til å påvirke politikken fra ulike posisjoner, delvis understøttet av digitaliseringen. Samtidig ser vi et nytt potensiale for deltagelse og mobilisering for borgerne gjennom den digitale offentligheten. Digitaliseringen reiser likevel et sett dilemmaer knyttet representasjon, muligheten for å forme kollektive synspunkter og til å få varig gjennomslag for politiske løsninger nedenfra, gitt den spontane og episodiske mobiliseringen den legger til rette for.

• Steen-Johnsen, Tale & Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2023). "Strangers in Their Own Land" - en sosiologisk roadtrip gir nye forståelser av sammenhengen mellom politikk og følelser. In Hestholm, Roger Ivan & Skarpenes, Ove (Ed.), Sosiologisk analyse. Fagbokforlaget. p. 35–52. Full text in Research Archive
• Wollebæk, Dag; Thorbjørnsrud, Kjersti & Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2022). Holdninger til ytringsfrihet i Norge: et nytt kart og kompass. In Mangset, Marte; Midtbøen, Arnfinn Haagensen & Thorbjørnsrud, Kjersti (Ed.), Ytringsfrihet i en ny offentlighet : Grensene for debatt og rommet for kunnskap. Universitetsforlaget. p. 33–56. doi: 10.18261/9788215051017-2022-02. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Er pennen like skadelig som sverdet, eller går det et klart skille mellom ord og handling? Kan man ikke lenger ytre kontroversielle meninger i Norge, eller er problemet snarere at debatten flommer over av hat og hets? Hvordan man svarer på disse spørsmålene, er et uttrykk for hvor man mener at «skoen trykker» når det gjelder ytringsfrihetens kår i Norge i dag. Her undersøker vi slike oppfatninger nærmere. Basert på holdninger til to sentrale konfliktlinjer i synet på ytringsfrihet, ytringers skadepotensial og begrensninger i ytringsrom identifiserer vi fire posisjoner: en restriktiv, en klassisk ytringsliberalistisk, en motkulturell ytringsliberalistisk og en resignert posisjon. Hvilken posisjon man inntar, henger sammen med både demografiske kjennetegn og politiske oppfatninger. Slik utvikler vi et nytt kart og kompass til folks holdninger til ytringsfrihet, som gir nye innsikter i de konfliktlinjene som preger ytringsfrihetsdebatten.

• Steen-Johnsen, Kari; Fladmoe, Audun & Frøvoll, Gard Løken (2022). En endret offentlighet? Holdninger til og erfaringer med ytringsfrihet i 2013-2020. In Mangset, Marte; Midtbøen, Arnfinn Haagensen & Thorbjørnsrud, Kjersti (Ed.), Ytringsfrihet i en ny offentlighet : Grensene for debatt og rommet for kunnskap. Universitetsforlaget. p. 57–75. doi: 10.18261/9788215051017-2022-03. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Det siste tiåret er preget av store og raske endringer når det gjelder vilkårene for ytringsfriheten; teknologisk, kulturelt og politisk. Én fortelling om utviklingen er om en endring til det verre, om polarisering og uforsonlige posisjoner i ytringsfrihetsdebatten, og om en digital offentlighet som støter folk ut fordi de opplever hets og trusler, eller fordi de ikke våger å delta. En annen fortelling vektlegger det demokratiske potensialet i nye medier, og den økte muligheten til ytring for mange. Ved å bruke data fra flere tidspunkter viser vi endringer i befolkningens holdninger til ytringsfrihet og i deres villighet til å ytre seg om saker de er opptatt av. Vi spør også om folk erfarer mer ubehagelige kommentarer og trusler på nettet enn før. Har holdningene til og erfaringene med ytringsfriheten endret seg i takt med en endret offentlighet?

• Fladmoe, Audun; Steen-Johnsen, Kari & Enjolras, Bernard Louis (2022). Hvem deltar i den nye offentligheten? Aktive nettdebattanter og deres holdninger. In Mangset, Marte; Midtbøen, Arnfinn Haagensen & Thorbjørnsrud, Kjersti (Ed.), Ytringsfrihet i en ny offentlighet : Grensene for debatt og rommet for kunnskap. Universitetsforlaget. p. 76–94. doi: 10.18261/9788215051017-2022-04. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Sosiale medier har blitt en viktig arena for samfunnsdebatten, med deltakelse fra både etablerte samfunnsdebattanter og folk flest. Nettdebatter framstår imidlertid ofte som «harde», med polariserte fronter og preg av ekkokamre. Et viktig spørsmål er hvem det er som deltar, og om de skiller seg fra resten av befolkningen når det gjelder hvem de er, og hva de mener. Gjenspeiler aktive nettdebattanter befolkningen for øvrig når det gjelder politiske holdninger og syn på ytringsfriheten? Og hvordan skiller debattanter i sosiale medier seg fra dem som deltar i diskusjoner på andre arenaer, slik som i aviskronikker og i organisasjonsliv? Svaret på slike spørsmål kan gi oss større forståelse av hvorfor den digitale debatten blir som den blir, og hva den representerer.

• Wollebæk, Dag; Fladmoe, Audun & Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2022). Tillit, følelser, normer og sosial distansering: En longitudinell studie av den norske befolkningen under Covid-19-pandemien. Norsk statsvitenskapelig tidsskrift. 38(3), p. 63–80. doi: 10.18261/nst.38.3.1. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Artikkelen undersøker forklaringer på etterlevelse av råd om sosial distansering under Covid-19-pandemien i dennorske befolkningen, med vekt på tillit, følelser og sosiale normer. I tråd med teoretiske forventninger er tillit til myn-dighetene viktig for etterlevelse av råd. Den sosiale tilliten mellom mennesker ser derimot ut til å ha vært svakt nega-tivt assosiert med etterlevelse. Også det å føle frykt eller håp i tilknytning til pandemien, og oppfatninger om at andrepersoner i ens sosiale nettverk også etterlever smittevernråd, bidrar til å forklare sosial distansering. Funnene er i trådmed hovedtrekkene i den internasjonale forskningen fra pandemien og viser at de samme forklaringene som er funneti andre land, også gjør seg gjeldende her. Analysene er basert på longitudinelle surveydata i fire runder i perioden mars2020 – januar 2022.

• Wollebæk, Dag; Fladmoe, Audun; Steen-Johnsen, Kari & Ihlen, Øyvind (2022). Right-wing ideological constraint and vaccine refusal: The case of the COVID-19 vaccine in Norway. Scandinavian Political Studies. 45(2), p. 253–278. doi: 10.1111/1467-9477.12224. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Research has shown a correlation between votes for populist parties and the belief that vaccines are not important or effective. More recent investigations in the United States and France have similarly shown that attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccine have been politicized. In this article, we show a similar pattern analyzing survey data from Norway, a country relatively mildly hit by the pandemic and characterized by high trust and a consensual political culture. We find that refusal to vaccinate is associated with right-wing ideological constraint, even when considering a wide array of control variables (e.g., lack of confidence, complacency), and sociodemographic characteristics. The results imply that vaccine refusal latch onto established political cleavages, particularly among the most ideologically consistent. Thus, polarization in the form of increasing ideological constraint may represent a mounting challenge for vaccine uptake, suggesting that vaccine communication should go beyond “explaining the science” and factor in ideology.

• Wollebæk, Dag; Fladmoe, Audun & Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2022). ‘You can’t be careful enough’: Measuring interpersonal trust during a pandemic. Journal of Trust Research. 11(2), p. 75–93. doi: 10.1080/21515581.2022.2066539. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Empirical results regarding the role of interpersonal trust in the pandemic setting have been inconsistent. We argue that one explanation may be an inherent weakness in the standard measure of generalised trust, requesting respondents to choose between the options ‘most people can be trusted' and ‘you can't be careful enough in dealing with people'. The item measures two inter-related yet separate dimensions - trust and caution. A sense of caution is likely to be activated within the pandemic; some respondents may interpret ‘being careful’ as avoiding infection or spreading the virus. This may lead to 1) exaggerated negative trends in trust after the pandemic outbreak and 2) misrepresentation of the relationship between trust and compliance with guidelines. This is more likely to occur if respondents are primed to think about the pandemic. Analyses of several survey data sets from Norway confirmed that the standard question showed a decline in trust levels after the pandemic outbreak and a weakly negative correlation with social distancing. Alternative operationalisations without reference to caution suggested a small increase in trust and neutral or a weakly positive correlation with social distancing. Our results imply that the standard question should be used with caution in pandemic research.

• Karlsen, Rune & Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2021). Nyheter, sosiale nettverk og lokalpolitisk orientering i lokalvalgkamp. In Saglie, Jo; Segaard, Signe Bock & Christensen, Dag Arne (Ed.), Lokalvalget 2019: Nye kommuner - nye valg?. Cappelen Damm Akademisk. p. 117–142. doi: 10.23865/noasp.134.ch5. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Denne antologien handler om de mange lokalvalgene som ble holdt rundt om i Norge 9. september 2019. Med utgangspunkt i velgerundersøkelsene som er gjennomført ved hvert lokalvalg siden 1995, tar boken gjennom ti kapitler for seg dels valg, velgeratferd, valgkamp og valgutfall, og dels politisk deltakelse og politisk tillit mellom valgene. Det er i kommunene flest innbyggere har anledning til å delta i politikkutformingen, og lokalnivået spiller ofte en viktig rolle i den enkeltes hverdagsliv. Hensikten med boken er derfor også å forstå hvordan lokaldemokratiet fungerer mellom valgene. Lokalvalget i 2019 var preget av høy valgdeltakelse, mobilisering og protest gjennom fokus på politiske saker som bompenger, klima og kommunereform. Kommunereformen var ikke bare valgkamptema, men en sentral rammebetingelse for lokalvalget i 2019. Kommunesammenslåing er derfor et gjennomgående tema i boken. Ett emne er hva innbyggerne mener om kommunereformen og dens mulige konsekvenser. Flere kapitler utforsker sammenslåingenes betydning for ulike sider ved lokaldemokratiet: lokale partisystemer, valgdeltakelse, personstemmegivning, partienes nominasjoner, og representasjon i kommunestyrene. Samlet sett er antologien en statusrapport for lokaldemokratiet i det første valget etter kommunereformen. Boken henvender seg til alle som er interessert i utviklingen av det norske lokaldemokratiet, men særlig til studenter, forskere, journalister og politisk aktive.

• Kaakinen, Markus; Oksanen, Atte; Gadarian, Shana Kushner; Solheim, Øyvind Bugge; Herreros, Francisco & Winsvold, Marte Slagsvold [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2021). Online Hate and Zeitgeist of Fear: A Five-Country Longitudinal Analysis of Hate Exposure and Fear of Terrorism After the Paris Terrorist Attacks in 2015. Political Psychology. 42(6), p. 1019–1035. doi: 10.1111/pops.12732. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Acts of terror lead to both a rise of an extended sense of fear that goes beyond the physical location of the attacks and to increased expressions of online hate. In this longitudinal study, we analyzed dynamics between the exposure to online hate and the fear of terrorism after the Paris attacks in November 13, 2015. We hypothesized that exposure to online hate is connected to a perceived Zeitgeist of fear (i.e., collective fear). In turn, the perceived Zeitgeist of fear is related to higher personal fear of terrorism both immediately after the attacks and a year later. Hypotheses were tested using path modeling and panel data (N = 2325) from Norway, Finland, Spain, France, and the United States a few weeks after the Paris attacks in November 2015 and again a year later in January 2017. With the exception of Norway, exposure to online hate had a positive association with the perceived Zeitgeist of fear in all our samples. The Zeitgeist of fear was correlated with higher personal fear of terrorism immediately after the attacks and one year later. We conclude that online hate content can contribute to the extended sense of fear after the terrorist attacks by skewing perceptions of social climate.

• Steen-Johnsen, Kari; Solheim, Øyvind Bugge; Winsvold, Marte Slagsvold & Enjolras, Bernard (2021). Tillit etter terror i Norge, Frankrike og Spania. Betydningen av narrativer og politisk kontekst. Norsk sosiologisk tidsskrift. 5(3), p. 12–27. doi: 10.18261/issn.2535-2512-2021-03-02. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Artikkelen diskuterer narrativers betydning for befolkningens tillit til politikere etter terror, med utgangspunkt i angrepene i Oslo og på Utøya, i Barcelona og i Nice. I Norge så man etter 22.juli 2011 en sterk økning i politisk tillit, mens bildet for de to andre casene er mer sammensatt. Også etter angrepet i Barcelona i 2017 steg den politiske tilliten, mens den svekket seg fra et allerede lavt nivå etter angrepet i Nice i 2016. Mens myndighetene i Norge ser ut til å ha lyktes med å skape tillitvekkende og inkluderende narrativer i møtet med terroren, var det et tydelig fravær av samlende narrativer i Frankrike. Spania er en komplisert case, der katalansk selvstendighetskamp og mobilisering la viktige forutsetninger for hvilke narrativer som kunne formes, og befolkningen i Katalonia og i resten av Spania reagerte til dels på forskjellige måter. Vi argumenterer for at vellykkede narrativer styrker tiltroen til politikeres ærlighet og gode vilje, samt til den moralske og sosiale orden. Den politiske konteksten setter rammer for hvilke narrativer som kan formes og for hvilken gjenklang de finner.

• Steen-Johnsen, Kari & Winsvold, Marte (2021). Islamist terrorism, out-group trust, and motivation to control prejudice. International Journal of Public Opinion Research. 32(3). doi: 10.1093/IJPOR/EDZ014. Full text in Research Archive
• Bergh, Johannes; Steen-Johnsen, Kari & Ødegård, Guro (2021). Det politiske generasjonsgapet. In Ødegård, Guro & Pedersen, Willy (Ed.), UNGDOMMEN. Cappelen Damm Akademisk. p. 337–360. doi: 10.23865/noasp.142.ch15. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In the last few years, there has been a rise in political activism among young people across the democratic world. We have seen them protesting against racism and demanding stricter climate policies. This chapter deals with political participation, values and the political agenda of young people in Norway over the last 20 years. Have there been changes over time, perhaps linked to digitalization and globalization, during this period? Have these developments led to a political generation gap between young people, adults and the elderly? Our analyses do indeed reveal an increasing age gap in which young people have different political preferences than persons in the older age groups. While these differences are greater now than at any other point in the last 20 years, they still remain moderate. Young people hold more radical positions on climate policy, they are more liberal concerning immigration, and they are somewhat to the right of the adult population when it comes to economic policy. Voter turnout and other forms of political participation have increased among people under the age of 30. Younger people are more prone to mobilize for political activism on digital platforms through their social networks than people in the older age groups are. Using perspectives from the sociology of generations, we discuss the implications of our findings for the political mobilization of young people in a digital future.

• Makkonen, Anna; Oksanen, Atte; Gadarian, Shana Kushner; Herreros, Francisco; Winsvold, Marte & Solheim, Øyvind Bugge [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2020). Fear-triggering effects of terrorism threats: Cross-country comparison in a terrorism news scenario experiment. Personality and Individual Differences. 161. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2020.109992. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Terrorist attacks can instigate widespread and long-lasting fear. Mass media can enforce fear by framing the events and affecting their perceptions. We implemented a news experiment to investigate the fear-triggering effects of different types of terrorist threats. We manipulated the type of terrorist group in three scenarios: a homegrown Islamist group, a foreign Islamist group, and a domestic far-right group. The fourth group served as the control group. The data were collected in early 2017 from Finland (N = 2024), Norway (N = 2063), Spain (N = 2000), France (N = 2003), and the United States (N = 2039). The results showed that in Finland and France, fear was higher in groups primed with jihadist scenarios. Ethnic intolerance was associated with fear related to jihadist news across all of the countries. Institutional trust was positively associated with fear, whereas interpersonal trust was negatively associated when significant. Moreover, highly neurotic individuals were likely to fear more across the cultural context or threat type. The results support previous studies on two cross-culturally merging dimensions of personality and emotions; neuroticism, and negative affect.

• Karlsen, Rune; Beyer, Audun & Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2020). Do High-Choice Media Environments Facilitate News Avoidance? A Longitudinal Study 1997–2016. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media. doi: 10.1080/08838151.2020.1835428. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The well-known “high-choice news avoidance thesis” and the alternative “network structure perspective” stipulate somewhat conflicting expectations about news consumption in today’s digital media systems. Based on annual survey data from Norway, the article examines news avoidance from 1997–2016, a period when digitalization processes transformed the media environment. Results show that news avoidance increased only marginally. The decrease in use of traditional media is largely compensated for by online news. However, news avoidance is increasingly polarized along educational lines, and it is unclear to what degree online news consumption equals traditional news media consumption in qualitative terms.

• Wollebæk, Dag; Karlsen, Rune; Steen-Johnsen, Kari & Enjolras, Bernard (2019). Anger, fear, and echo chambers: The emotional basis for online behavior. Social Media + Society. 5(2). doi: 10.1177/2056305119829859. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Emotions, such as anger and fear, have been shown to influence people’s political behavior. However, few studies link emotions specifically to how people debate political issues and seek political information online. In this article, we examine how anger and fear are related to politics-oriented digital behavior, attempting to bridge the gap between the thus far disconnected literature on political psychology and the digital media. Based on survey data, we show that anger and fear are connected to distinct behaviors online. Angry people are more likely to engage in debates with people having both similar and opposing views. They also seek out information confirming their views more frequently. Anxious individuals, by contrast, tend to seek out information contradicting their opinions. These findings reiterate predictions made in the extant literature concerning the role of emotions in politics. Thus, we argue that anger reinforces echo chamber dynamics and trench warfare dynamics in the digital public sphere, while fear counteracts these dynamics.

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• Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2024). Ytre høyre på nett i Skandinavia. Institutt for samfunnsforskning. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  I denne brosjyren undersøker vi hvilke likheter og forskjeller som finnes mellom de skandinaviske landene når det gjelder ytre høyres tilstedeværelse på nett.

• Wollebæk, Dag; Fladmoe, Audun & Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2021). Hvem vil ta koronavaksinen? Institutt for samfunnsforskning. Full text in Research Archive
• Fladmoe, Audun; Wollebæk, Dag; Steen-Johnsen, Kari & Thorbjørnsrud, Kjersti (2021). Hva mener befolkningen om ytringsfrihetens grenser? Fritt ord. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  I denne publikasjonen tar vi for oss noen nøkkelspørsmål knyttet til vilkårene for ytringsfrihet i befolkningen. Vi undersøker hvor ulike grupper trekker grensene for hva slags ytringer som kan aksepteres, hvordan opinionsklimaet oppleves, samt folks erfaringer med ubehagelige kommentarer og trusler. Til sammen kan analysene gi en forståelse av hvilke grenser befolkningen setter for hva som er akseptable ytringer, hvordan de opplever sin egen ytringsfrihet, og hva omfanget av erfart netthets er i ulike grupper. Vi kan også se hvordan disse forholdene har endret seg over tid.

• Karlsen, Rune; Steen-Johnsen, Kari & Sundet, Vilde Schanke (2021). Digitalisering og medienes samfunnsrolle. Hovedfunn fra prosjektet Disruptive Change and New Media Policies: A Field Approach. Institutt for samfunnsforskning. Full text in Research Archive
• Wollebæk, Dag; Fladmoe, Audun & Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2020). Etterlevelse av smittevernråd. Betydningen av tillit og bekymring. Institutt for samfunnsforskning. Full text in Research Archive
• Wollebæk, Dag; Enjolras, Bernard; Fladmoe, Audun & Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2020). Tillit og bekymring. Hva avgjør om folk følger smittevernrådene? Institutt for samfunnsforskning og Senter for forskning på sivilsamfunn og frivillig sektor. Full text in Research Archive

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• Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2026). Teknologi og demokrati. Full text in Research Archive
• Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2026). Hvordan vil KI kunne endre samfunnet? Full text in Research Archive
• Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2025). AI and the sustainability paradox. Full text in Research Archive
• Steen-Johnsen, Kari; Haugsgjerd, Atle Hennum & Karlsen, Rune (2025). Concern and Enthusiasm for AI Across the Globe – The Role of Trust. Full text in Research Archive
• Karlsen, Rune; Haugsgjerd, Atle Hennum & Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2025). Generative AI as a Source Cue in Information Processing. Full text in Research Archive
• Steen-Johnsen, Kari; Ihlebæk, Karoline Andrea & Kalsnes, Bente (2025). Freedom of Speech. In Nai, Alessandro; Grömping, Max & Wirz, Dominique (Ed.), Elgar Encyclopedia of Political Communication. Edward Elgar Publishing. p. 74–77. doi: https:/www.elgaronline.com/display/book/9781035301447/9781035301447.xml. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Freedom of speech is a fundamental human right. Still, at any given time, legal, institutional, and social factors condition its exercise. We examine three aspects that influence its boundaries: 1) law and regulation, 2) media institutions and platforms, and 3) political, cultural, and social dynamics. We consider these conditions across authoritarian and democratic states, paying particular attention to how digitalization has transformed the conditions for free speech. In the digital public sphere, the possibilities for exercising freedom of speech are almost endless but simultaneously limited by political contestation, exposure to hate speech, and self-censorship. Digitalization has also created new tools for repression by authoritarian states and new challenges concerning gatekeeping and content moderation by platform companies. Political communication scholars need to study the conditions for freedom of speech at different levels and across national contexts.

• Steen-Johnsen, Kari & Solheim, Øyvind Bugge (2025). The art of forging compelling narratives in times of crisis: youth electoral politics on TikTok. Full text in Research Archive
• Karlsen, Rune & Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2025). Bruk av valgomater - påvirker det lokalvalg? Full text in Research Archive
• Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2025). Hvilke konsekvenser vil KI få for demokratiet? Full text in Research Archive
• Steen-Johnsen, Kari & Solheim, Øyvind Bugge (2025). The art of forging compelling narratives in times of crisis: youth electoral politics on TikTok. Full text in Research Archive
• Karlsen, Rune & Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2025). Bruk av valgomater - påvirker det lokalvalg? Full text in Research Archive
• Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2025). Høyrepopulisme og grønn omstilling i en polarisert verden. Full text in Research Archive
• Sundet, Vilde Schanke; Steen-Johnsen, Kari & Andersen, Mads Møller (2025). INFLUENCER AUTONOMY: NAVIGATING AUTHENTICITY, AGENCIES AND ALGORITHMS. Full text in Research Archive
• Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2025). Hvilken makt har norske influensere over media og egne rammebetingelser? Full text in Research Archive
• Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2024). Stor motstand mot utvidelse av abortgrense: Over 50.000 har signert. [Internet]. NRK. Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Øyvind Bugge & Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2024). TikTok og skolevalget. Full text in Research Archive
• Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2024). Ekkokamre og deres betydning i den norske nettdebatten. Hva sier forskningen? Full text in Research Archive
• Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2024). Toleransens paradoks. Full text in Research Archive
• Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2024). Ytre høyre på nett i Skandinavia: Innledningsforedrag. Full text in Research Archive
• Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2024). Meninger og doxa. [Radio]. NRK P2 Ekko. Full text in Research Archive
• Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2024). Bør vi tolerere de intolerante? [Radio]. NRK P2. Full text in Research Archive
• Enjolras, Bernard Louis; Fladmoe, Audun & Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2024). Trials of life and far-right attitudes: the case of Norway. Full text in Research Archive
• Steen-Johnsen, Kari; Ihlebæk, Karoline Andrea & Fladmoe, Audun (2024). Users of right-wing alternative media in Scandinavia: ideological attitudes and (dis)trust. Full text in Research Archive
• Sundet, Vilde Schanke & Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2024). Influencer autonomy: Navigating authenticity, agency and algorithms. Full text in Research Archive
• Steen-Johnsen, Kari & Solheim, Øyvind Bugge (2024). Guttastemning på TikTok? Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Øyvind Bugge & Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2024). Using digital (trace) data for research – potentials and pitfalls. Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Øyvind Bugge & Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2024). TikTok and the gender dimension of right-wing electoral politics. Full text in Research Archive
• Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2023). Digital Platforms and the Deinstitutionalization of the Public Sphere: Consequences for Democracy. Full text in Research Archive
• Hansen, Vibeke Wøien; Thau, Mads & Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2023). Party responsiveness to party voters and interest groups on different policy dimensions: Is the call for urgent climate change evident in voter-party-group relations across countries? Full text in Research Archive
• Steen-Johnsen, Tale & Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2023). En sosiologisk roadtrip gir innsikt i sammenhengen mellom følelser og politikk. sosiologen.no. Full text in Research Archive
• Karlsen, Rune & Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2023). Polarisering og opinionsdynamikker i den digitale offentligheten. Tidsskrift for samfunnsforskning (TfS). 64(3), p. 282–291. doi: 10.18261/tfs.64.3.8. Full text in Research Archive
• Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2022). Steile fronter om fylkets framtid på sosiale medier: - Identitet kan være lett å mobilisere rundt, sier forsker. [Journal]. Oppland arbeiderblad. Full text in Research Archive
• Steen-Johnsen, Kari; Thau, Mads & Vaccari, Cristian (2022). The Road to Citizenship is through Dialogue: How Discussing Politics Reinforces Political Interest. Full text in Research Archive
• Steen-Johnsen, Kari & Karlsen, Rune (2022). Political agenda setting in the digital public sphere – an actor centered approach. Full text in Research Archive
• Haugsgjerd, Atle; Karlsen, Rune; Steen-Johnsen, Kari & Beyer, Audun (2022). Less Informed and Less Confident Citizens: Social Media, Retrieval Accuracy and Confidence in Political Knowledge. Full text in Research Archive
• Fladmoe, Audun; Nadim, Marjan & Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2022). Emotional reactions to observing far-right online rhetoric. Comparing targets and non-targets of far-right online harassment. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The paper examines emotional reactions to observing far-right online rhetoric, and further, whether these reactions are different among people who themselves have been targets of online harassment from far-right actors. Far-right rhetoric is conceptualized as transgressive rhetoric containing anti-democratic rhetoric and expressions of hostility towards minorities. Relying on a cross-national survey carried out in Denmark, Norway and Sweden in the fall of 2020, the results suggest that (a) messages hostile towards minorities are more common than anti-democratic messages. (b) Respondents react more negatively in terms of anger to messages that contain hostility towards minorities than messages that are only anti-democratic. (d) Negative emotional reactions, especially anger, are more prevalent stronger among respondents who themselves have been targets of online harassment from far-right actors. This holds especially if respondents have observed both types of transgressive online rhetoric. An implication of the study is that previous experience with far-right online harassment may sensitise subjects, eliciting stronger emotional reactions to subsequent far-right rhetoric.

• Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2021). Først var det Eldreopprøret. Så var det Oljebrølet. Nå går Frp inn i strømprotest på Facebook. [Journal]. Aftenposten (morgenutg. : trykt utg.). Full text in Research Archive
• Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2021). Den digitale valgkampen 2021. Full text in Research Archive
• Haugsgjerd, Atle; Karlsen, Rune; Steen-Johnsen, Kari & Beyer, Audun (2021). Misinformed or uninformed? A panel-study of how the use of social media as a news source influences political knowledge. Full text in Research Archive
• Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2021). Krenk? En samtale om unges ytringsrom i dag. Full text in Research Archive
• Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2021). Tillit. Full text in Research Archive
• Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2021). Hvordan vil sosiale medier prege valgåret 2021? Full text in Research Archive
• Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2021). Populisme og politisk kommunikasjon - kommentar til Toril Aalberg. Full text in Research Archive
• Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2021). Sosial og politisk tillit under pandemien. Et år etter at Norge stengte ned. [Radio]. NRK Nyhetsmorgen. Full text in Research Archive
• Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2021). Tillit til myndighetene ved store samfunnskriser Forutsetninger og konsekvenser. Full text in Research Archive
• Karlsen, Rune; Sundet, Vilde Schanke & Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2021). Slik er den nye digitale offentligheten. Full text in Research Archive
• Steen-Johnsen, Kari & Enjolras, Bernard Louis (2021). Digitalisering og offentlighet – forskningen på ISF. Full text in Research Archive
• Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2020). Nyhetsinnslag om sosial tillit under koronakrisen. [Radio]. NRK Nyhetsmorgen. Full text in Research Archive
• Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2020). Offentlighet og polarisering. Full text in Research Archive
• Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2020). Panelsamtale om det sosiologiske tillitsbegrepet. Full text in Research Archive
• Beyer, Audun; Karlsen, Rune & Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2020). Social Media News Consumption and Political Surveillance Knowledge:Adding Motivation and Ability to the Equation. Full text in Research Archive
• Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2020). Kampen mot koronatiltakene. [Journal]. Aftenposten. Full text in Research Archive
• Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2020). Pandemier har forandret verden før. Hva blir endringene denne gangen? [Journal]. Aftenposten. Full text in Research Archive
• Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2020). Nyhetsmorgen. Innslag om politisk og sosial tillit i kriser. [TV]. NRK. Full text in Research Archive
• Ljunggren, Jørn; Steen-Johnsen, Kari & Andersen, Patrick Lie (2020). Social Inequality, Political Trust and Emotions. Full text in Research Archive
• Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2020). Innslag om hamstring og tillit under Corona-krisen. NRK Nyheter. [Radio]. NRK. Full text in Research Archive
• Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2019). Offentligheten som rom for frie uttrykk. Full text in Research Archive
• Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2019). Tillit og bevæpning av politiet. [Radio]. NRK P2 Desse dagar. Full text in Research Archive
• Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2019). Polarisering, fragmentering og ekkokamre. Full text in Research Archive
• Steen-Johnsen, Kari; Boulianne, Shelley; Koc-Michalska, Karolina & Bimber, Bruce (2019). Digital media, networks, and offline volunteering: A comparative study. Full text in Research Archive
• Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2019). Personvern, politikermakt og demokrati - innlegg i paneldebatt. Full text in Research Archive
• Sundet, Vilde Schanke; Ihlebæk, Karoline Andrea & Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2019). Policy windows and converging frames: How media industry players frame digitalization and the need for policy actions. Full text in Research Archive
• Ihlebæk, Karoline Andrea; Sundet, Vilde Schanke & Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2019). Digitalization and diversity: A case study of policy incentives in the news sector. Full text in Research Archive
• Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2019). Utfordringer for offentlighet og ytringsfrihet i dagens Norge. Full text in Research Archive
• Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2019). Skal forske på ytre høyre på nett: aldri noen enkel oppgave å klassifisere aktører. [Internet]. Resett. Full text in Research Archive
• Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2019). Ytre høyre på nett og samfunnets motstandskraft. Full text in Research Archive
• Steen-Johnsen, Kari & Fladmoe, Audun (2019). Xenophobia and offensive speech targeting minorities. Evidence from two survey experiments in Norway. Full text in Research Archive
• Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2019). Sosiale medier i krisesituasjoner. [Radio]. NRK Nyhetsmorgen. Full text in Research Archive
• Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2019). Trenger kvinner beskyttelse? [Radio]. NRK P2 Kurér. Full text in Research Archive

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