The pandemic and the media system: The case of Norway

Abstract

Norwegian media and journalism have for some time struggled to cope with the crises brought by digitalisation and globalisation: an increased output and accessibility of free digital media and social media, the loss of readership and advertising revenue of print media, layoffs of journalists and an generally uncertain future of news. Put together these factors could possibly challenge the very foundation of the democratic corporatist media system of Norway. As the pandemic struck in 2020, one could expect the media crises to get even worse and possibly bring changes of a systemic level. But Norwegian media have seemingly handled the pandemic quite well, and the media system has definitely not been rocked by it. Possible explanations for this state of affairs: the media’s handling of the pandemic, media policy in the pandemic and the long-term status of the digital transformation of the media, will be discussed here.