Innovative, methodologically well-structured, and open to diverse academic traditions – these are just some of the qualities that international scholars value and appreciate about Nordic media and communication researchers. In the second article in our series “Your Work, Their Words: How Others See Us”, we spotlight more voices from international scholars and their reflections on the contributions of Nordic researchers. Here’s what they had to say.
Katarzyna Kopecka-Piech, Associate Professor, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, Lublin (Poland)
I perceive Nordic media and communication research as highly innovative and open to new trends, but also methodically well-structured. I have the impression that in media and communication research, Nordic researchers like to be pioneers and set new sub-disciplines and research directions. As a research community, they are characterised on the one hand by a strong focus on supporting research and researchers from their region, and on the other hand, they are open to internationalisation. It is difficult to balance this, but it works; partly thanks to initiatives such as Nordicom or NordMedia Network, I think. I particularly appreciate the openness to the problems of researchers from Central and Eastern Europe, the Baltic States, and the Global South. There is no denying that this even has a financial dimension, which has manifested itself in the support of researchers in their work, for example, in the form of scholarships or grants.
In response to a question about what she considers to be the most significant contributions of media and communication research from a Nordic perspective, she remarks the following: “It is difficult for me to generalise about the entire discipline of media and communication research, but for me, without a doubt, the Nordic researchers have made a huge contribution in the last 2–3 decades to research on mediatization, and in recent years to establishing the field of digital disconnection studies. I also really value research on communication geography. I recognise these fields as Nordic academic “brands”, rich with the names of great researchers”.
Drawing on her observations, particularly within the subject areas she has engaged with, Kopecka-Puech goes on to add: “It seems to me that Nordic media and communication studies are more oriented towards social science than humanities – although they do not shy away from it; and they appreciate qualitative research. Moreover, when comparing with other regions, I believe that Nordic media and communication studies are characterised by interesting conceptual proposals as well as methodological rigour. Nordic researchers are also open to comparative research. I also increasingly recognise the importance of the applicability of research conducted here, for example, in the political or social dimension, which is not the norm in other countries”.
Ada Silveira, Professor in the Department of Communication and its Graduate Program at the Federal University of Santa Maria, Brazil
“My perception of the Nordic media and communication scholars has been shaped by my experience with our International Network on Mediatization and Social Processes. Also, through the CAPES-STINT program, I had the opportunity to get to know Swedish universities. I was faced with a varied panorama of themes and theoretical-methodological perspectives. I think that the precision of their studies makes their point of view quite perceptible and accurate, a very relevant aspect. When I try to establish some comparative parameter between the researchers I met in Sweden and my colleagues in Latin America, the Nordic imprint stands out, characterized by the impact of digitalization on different spheres of social life and in many countries of the world, but also dedicated to an enriched understanding of Europe and its social issues”.
Rita Figueiras, Associate Professor, the Catolic Univeristy of Portugal
“What I appreciate most about Nordic media and communication research is that it offers a very consistent intersection between what could be called a European academic tradition and the Anglo-Saxon one. It does it by combining a very solid theoretical apparatus with an orientation towards abstraction, together with a pragmatic approach to empirical research. And it does so in an accessible way of presenting ideas. Additionally, I would like to highlight the admirable curiosity and openness of Nordic researchers toward diverse academic traditions, their ability to engage in dialogue across paradigms, and their flexibility in thoughtfully integrating these perspectives into the Nordic approach to media and communication research”.