Introducing the Nordic Journal of Media Studies

The first issue of a new Open Access journal, Nordic Journal of Media Studies, has been published. The issue editors, Kirsten Frandsen and Hanne Bruun, hope that it will contribute to the field by addressing current research topics and exploring issues that are not yet fully mature. The journal is published by Nordicom, and the first issue is titled Disrupting Media Infrastructures. 

The Nordic Journal of Media Studies is a new journal that has been added to Nordicom’s portfolio of scientific publications. It is published as Open Access, which was an important aspect for the editorial committee in the decision to move to Nordicom and establish the new journal. 

– Research that is funded by tax money should be openly available. It’s an ethical commitment to ensure that the public can benefit from the research that they have helped fund, says editor Kirsten Frandsen. 

Disrupting media infratructures

The overall theme of the first issue, Disrupting Media Infrastructures, is the changes that the media industry is currently going through. Due to digitalisation, production networks are now possible across the world, creating new ways of distributing content and building business models. 

Incidentally, the theme reflects the situation the editorial committee was in when they decided to start a new Open Access journal.

– We were seeking to utilise options provided by digitalisation, like Open Access publishing. However, we were disrupted by the infrastructures of old business models which required readers to pay in order to access research, Kirsten Frandsen explains. 

Thematic issues 

In comparison to most journals in the field, the Nordic Journal of Media Studies will be themed, with the editors defining the overall theme of each issue. The hope is, according to Kirsten Frandsen, that the journal will address current issues and be at the forefront when it comes to exploring new research topics. 

– The theme for this first issue will include articles where researchers reflect on what they think the future will look like. Our aim is to be ahead of time and make researchers write on issues that are not yet fully mature as research topics. 

– The journal will be a meeting place for Nordic, European, and global perspectives on media. Nordic media scholars have much to offer the international research community, but we also have much to learn from our international colleagues. The journal will ensure a continuous dialogue with researchers from other parts of the world, says chief editor Stig Hjarvard. 

Part of the Nordicom portfolio of scientific publications

As a publisher, Nordicom will be responsible for producing, disseminating and marketing the new journal. Publishing Open Access is an important part of Nordicom’s mission, and when approached by the editors of Nordic Journal of Media Studies, it seemed like a good match.  

– Nordicom has for a long time been devoted to publishing high-quality media research of relevance for the Nordic societies. A thematic journal like The Nordic Journal of Media Studies will be a good complement to our existing journal Nordicom Review, which has a somewhat broader scope. We are very excited about the opportunity to collaborate with such a distinguished group of editors and media scholars, says Nordicom’s director Jonas Ohlsson.