Date: Tuesday 25 Mar 2025
Time: 15:00 – 16:30 CET (16.00 – 17.30 Finland)
Location: Zoom (link will be provided after registration)
Registration: https://jyufi.zoom.us/meeting/register/_nRjzoVUSmq9veYPITcJ7w
Cost: Free of charge
The sixth NordJourn seminar explores the role of ownership in media performance, examining the topic from two perspectives. Firstly, it examines the impact of media consolidation on content in the Finnish media. Secondly, it explores how non-market-leading news organizations in Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark approach audience analytics.
The presentations will be delivered by researchers Ville Manninen and Visa Noronen from the University of Jyväskylä, Finland.
How Does Ownership Shape Content?
Ville Manninen, PhD, Researcher, University of Jyväskylä
The Finnish news media is increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few major owners—but should this be seen as a threat? Drawing on extensive research conducted in Finland, the presentation examines the declining trajectory of local and regional newspapers, most of which published significantly fewer stories in 2023 than in 2013. While the remaining print content largely focuses on readers’ critical information needs, the overall trend is negative. However, variations exist across different newspapers, with two noticeable trends: a stronger emphasis on local content and an increased reliance on syndicated material.
Why Do Non-Market Leaders Use Audience Analytics Differently?
Visa Noronen, Doctoral Candidate, University of Jyväskylä
News organizations across the Nordic countries have made significant progress in leveraging audience analytics. However, many non-market-leading media outlets – 16 of which have been interviewed across Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark – are choosing a different path. While some are simply slow to adopt the best practices of market leaders, others actively resist following the same trajectory, limiting their use of audience analytics for editorial decision-making, despite their digital expertise. In addition to resource constraints, two key factors appear to explain these differences: how news organizations perceive their target audience and how ownership influences their ability to use audience analytics.
Please register for the seminar at https://jyufi.zoom.us/meeting/register/_nRjzoVUSmq9veYPITcJ7w
The NordJourn seminar series welcomes scholars to lectures and conversations focusing on journalism and journalism research. NordJourn seeks to address timely topics and themes, providing a platform for sharing recently published research as well as research projects underway. The NordJourn seminar series is organized in collaboration between four Nordic media departments:
Department of Journalism, Media and Communication, University of Gothenburg.
Department of Journalism and Media Studies, Oslo Metropolitan University (OsloMet)
Department of Communication and Arts, Roskilde University
Department of Language and Communication Studies, University of Jyväskylä