Projects about Media and the Public Sphere

This project continues our research into Norwegian municipal and county elections. Central themes include voter behavior and participation, in addition to representation, political trust, the media and AI. 

This project examines the measures, routines and support systems in place to address hate, threats and harassment against local politicians. In addition, the scope, nature and consequences of hate, harassment and threats in the 2027 local election campaign are examined.

This project maps how five major Norwegian news outlets covered the war between Israel and Hamas from 7 October 2023 to 9 October 2025, examining how key actors and events were framed, which topics were covered, and how sources were used and weighted.

In this project, we will study the conditions and challenges of a democratic electoral system by and for the Sámi in Norway in general, and the Norwegian Sámi parliamentary election in 2025 in particular.

How does Generative Artificial Intelligence affect what people know, believe, and trust?

This project examines how the increase in the number of paid employees impacts voluntary organisations and their functioning. The aim is to identify both challenges and benefits of professionalisation, as well as sources of conflict between volunteers and employees.

This project investigates how social media influences civil engagement and participation in voluntary organisations. Through a comprehensive analysis of data from 2025 to 2028, we aim to understand changes in forms of participation and social inequality related to digital engagement. This project is part of the Centre for Research on Civil Society and Voluntary Sector.

The MORALCHANGE project explores how changes in moral values have shaped political and cultural divides in Scandinavia over the past five decades.

The project aims to provide insight into racism and discrimination across various areas of Norwegian public life.

Coordinated Online Panels for Research on Democracy and Governance in Norway (KODEM) allows multiple projects to share common observational platforms (i.e. online panels).

Media Poverty examines how conditions of poverty affect people’s possibilities to enact informed and active citizenship through their use of the media.

The project examines how much influence experts have over public policy, and how much power they ought to have.

What was the role of the press in the Baneheia case? To what extent did Norwegian media contribute to the 20-year delay before the verdict was overturned and Viggo Kristiansen was released?

Some groups believe that societal development is heading in the wrong direction while having low trust in the media and public authorities. This project investigates the perceptions of "the alarmed citizen," their societal participation, information networks, and media use.

Global platforms such as YouTube, TikTok and Netflix dominate the media lives of Norwegian teenagers. Do national media actors still have a chance to win back the “lost generation”?

The growing impacts from climate change and environmental problems raise a variety of different questions for social research. This research initiative sheds light on social science research questions within climate change and environmental policy and aims to put forward new insights on this profound challenge of our times.

The initiative is coordinated as an umbrella project with experience-sharing across subprojects.

Trust between citizens and authorities is a prerequisite to be able to handle the corona crisis. This project analyses how the health authorities communicate in this regard, what role is played by social media and what levels of trust are expressed by citizens.

Consequences for Participation and Democracy.

Meaning, contest and power

This project has been a part of Centre for Research on Civil Society and Voluntary Sector.