Oscar Westlund

Affiliation

Oscar Westlund (PhD) is Professor at the Department of Journalism and Media Studies at Oslo Metropolitan University, where he co- leads the OsloMet Digital Journalism Research Group. He holds secondary appointment at University of Gothenburg. Westlund specializes in digital journalism, fact-checking, platforms, media management, news consumption, and mobile media. Westlund is the Editor-in-Chief of Digital Journalism, and has also guest edited special issues for numerous other leading international journals. He is currently involved in several research projects focusing on misinformation.

Research groups

Digital Journalism

Research projects

Completed research projects

The Epistemologies of Digital News Production
The project studies journalists’ concrete judgments, handling of sources and data, and their overall knowledge-producing activities in distinct stages of the news production process that ultimately lead to news publishing.
The Source Criticism And Mediated Disinformation (SCAM)
The SCAM project will identify the main challenges related to the ways in which technology and platforms affect the distribution of disinformation in public spheres and ways to detect and counter it.

Publications and research

Scientific publications (55)

Olsen, Ragnhild Kristine; Westlund, Oscar; Chua, Sherwin; Tenenboim, Ori; Broersma, Marcel; Hess, Kristy; Linden, Carl-Gustav (2026). Platform configurations and isomorphism: An analytical framework for longitudinal and comparative research of public service media. Convergence. The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies
Westlund, Oscar (2026). Defending Academic Freedom in Digital Journalism Studies: The Community Standing Up for the Field, the Scholarship, and the Scholars. Digital Journalism. Vol. 14. p. 1-10
Hess, Kristy; Westlund, Oscar; Tandoc, Edson; Saldaña, Magdalena (2025). Striving for excellence is striving for diversity. Badr, Hanan; Wilkins, Karin G. (Ed.). Critical Communication Research with Global Inclusivity. Routledge
Westlund, Oscar; Carlson, Matt; Hamada, Basyouni; Helberger, Natali; Lecheler, Sophie; Lewis, Seth C.; Quandt, Thorsten; Reese, Stephen D.; Salaverría, Ramón; Saldaña, Magdalena; Thomson, T. J.; Wahl-Jorgensen, Karin; Wu, Shangyuan (2025). Public Knowledge and Expertise Under Authoritarian Siege: A Defense of Academic Freedom from <i>Digital Journalism Studies</i>. Digital Journalism. Vol. 13. p. 869-892
Westlund, Oscar; Krøvel, Roy; Orgeret, Kristin Skare (2024). Journalism and Safety. An Introduction to the Field. Taylor & Francis
Westlund, Oscar; Belair-Gagnon, Valerie; Graves, Lucas; Larsen, Rebekah; Steensen, Steen (2024). What Is the Problem with Misinformation? Fact-checking as a Sociotechnical and Problem-Solving Practice. Journalism Studies. Vol. 25. p. 898-918
Westlund, Oscar; Merja, Myllylahti; Chua, Sherwin (2024). Platform Business Poses Risks for News Publishers. Eldridge, Scott A.; Cheruiyot, David; Banjac, Sandra; Swart, Joëlle (Ed.). The Routledge Companion to Digital Journalism Studies. Routledge
Orgeret, Kristin Skare; Westlund, Oscar; Krøvel, Roy (2024). Journalism and Safety Digital Threats, Professional Fragilities, and Safety Cultures. 324 p.. Taylor & Francis
Westlund, Oscar; Krøvel, Roy; Orgeret, Kristin Skare (2024). Journalism and Safety: An Introduction to the Field. 324 p.. Taylor & Francis
Olsen, Ragnhild Kristine; Tenenboim, Ori; Hess, Kristy; Westlund, Oscar; Linden, Carl-Gustav; Broersma, Marcel (2024). Platform paradoxes and public service media legitimacy: a cross-national study. Information, Communication & Society
Linden, Carl-Gustav; Villi, Mikko; Westlund, Oscar (2024). The (mobile) news ecosystem milestone. Pavlik, John (Ed.). Milestones in digital journalism. Routledge
Ramsälv, Amanda; Ekstrom, Mats; Westlund, Oscar (2023). The epistemologies of data journalism. New Media & Society
Belair-Gagnon, Valerie; Larsen, Rebekah; Graves, Lucas; Westlund, Oscar (2023). Knowledge Work in Platform Fact-Checking Partnerships. International Journal of Communication. Vol. 17
Bélair-Gagnon, Valérie; Larsen, Rebekah; Graves, Lucas; Westlund, Oscar (2023). Knowledge Work in Platform Fact-Checking Partnerships. International Journal of Communication. Vol. 17. p. 1169-1189
Westlund, Oscar (2023). On the becoming of an academic home for research into the intersection of mobile devices and news. Mobile Media & Communication. Vol. 11. p. 125-131
Steensen, Steen; Kalsnes, Bente; Westlund, Oscar (2023). The limits of live fact-checking: Epistemological consequences of introducing a breaking news logic to political fact-checking. New Media & Society
Silva-Rodríguez, Alba; Sixto-García, José; Rodríguez-Vázquez, Ana-Isabel; Westlund, Oscar (2023). Models for Mobile Communication and Effects on the Boundaries of Journalism. Negreira-Rey, María-Cruz; Vázquez-Herrero, Jorge; Sixto-García, José; López-García, Xosé (Ed.). Blurring Boundaries of Journalism in Digital Media New Actors, Models and Practices. Springer
Westlund, Oscar; Krøvel, Roy; Orgeret, Kristin (2022). Newsafety: Infrastructures, Practices and Consequences. Journalism Practice. Vol. 16. p. 1811-1828
Chua, Sherwin; Westlund, Oscar (2022). Platform Configuration: A Longitudinal Study and Conceptualization of a Legacy News Publisher’s Platform-Related Innovation Practices. Online Media and Global Communication. Vol. 1. p. 60-89
Shin, Don; Hameleers, Michael; Park, Yong Yin; nam, kim Jeong; Triell, Daniel; Diakopolous, Nicholas; Helberger, Natali; Lewis, Seth C.; Westlund, Oscar; Baumann, Sabine (2022). Countering Algorithmic Bias and Disinformation and Effectively Harnessing the Power of AI in Media. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly. Vol. 99. p. 887-907
Steensen, Steen; Belair-Gagnon, Valerie; Graves, Lucas; Kalsnes, Bente; Westlund, Oscar (2022). Journalism and Source Criticism. Revised Approaches to Assessing Truth-Claims. Journalism Studies. Vol. 23. p. 2119-2137
Westlund, Oscar; Larsen, Rebekah; Graves, Lucas; Kavtaradze, Lasha; Steensen, Steen (2022). Technologies and Fact-Checking. A Sociotechnical Mapping. Correia, Joao Carlos; Jeronimo, Pedro; Amaral, Inês (Ed.). Disinformations Studies: Perspectives from An Emerging Field. Labcom Communication & Arts
II, Scott A. Eldridge; Hess, Kristy; JR, Edson Tandoc; Westlund, Oscar (2021). Definitions of Digital Journalism (Studies). 92 p.. Routledge
Jenkins, Joy; JR, Edson Tandoc; Thomas, Ryan J.; Westlund, Oscar (2021). Introduction: Theorizing Critical Incidents in Journalism across the Globe. Tandoc, Edson C.; Jenkins, Joy; Thomas, Ryan J.; Westlund, Oscar (Ed.). Critical Incidents in Journalism. Pivotal Moments Reshaping Journalism Around the World. Routledge
Thomas, Ryan J.; JR, Edson Tandoc; Westlund, Oscar; Jenkins, Joy (2021). Critical Incidents in Journalism: Conceptualization, Characteristics, Communities, and Consequences.. Tandoc, Edson C.; Jenkins, Joy; Thomas, Ryan J.; Westlund, Oscar (Ed.). Critical Incidents in Journalism. Pivotal Moments Reshaping Journalism Around the World. Routledge
Duffy, Andrew; Kim, Nuri; Ling, Rich; JR, Edson Tandoc; Westlund, Oscar (2021). Mobile News Journalism’s Shift from Fixed to Fluid. 92 p.. Routledge
Ekström, Mats; Ramsälv, Amanda; Westlund, Oscar (2021). Data-driven news work culture: Reconciling tensions in epistemic values and practices of news journalism. Journalism - Theory, Practice & Criticism. p. 1-18
Tandoc, Edson C.; Jenkins, Joy; Thomas, Ryan J.; Westlund, Oscar (2021). Critical Incidents in Journalism. Pivotal Moments Reshaping Journalism Around the World. 282 p.. Routledge
Ekström, Mats; Waldenstrom, Amanda; Westlund, Oscar (2021). The Epistemologies of Breaking News. Journalism Studies. Vol. 22. p. 174-192
Westlund, Oscar (2021). Advancing Research into Dark Participation. Media and Communication. Vol. 9
Westlund, Oscar; Hermida, Alfred (2021). Data Journalism and Misinformation. Tumber, Howard; Waisbord, Silvio (Ed.). The Routledge Companion to Media Disinformation and Populism. Routledge
Westlund, Oscar; Ekström, Mats (2021). Critical Moments of Coordination in Newswork. Journalism Practice. Vol. 15. p. 728-746
Steensen, Steen; Westlund, Oscar (2020). What is Digital Journalism Studies?. 136 p.. Routledge
Westlund, Oscar; Krumsvik, Arne H.; Lewis, Seth C. (2020). Competition, Change, and Coordination and Collaboration: Tracing news executives’ perceptions about participation in media innovation. Journalism Studies. Vol. 22. p. 1-21
Ekstrom, Mats; Lewis, Seth; Waldenstrom, Amanda; Westlund, Oscar (2020). Commentary: Digitization, climate change, and the potential for online workshops. New Media & Society. Vol. 22. p. 378-383
Ekström, Mats; Lewis, Seth C.; Westlund, Oscar (2020). Epistemologies of digital journalism and the study of misinformation. New Media & Society. Vol. 22. p. 205-212
Olsen, Ragnhild Kristine; Pickard, Victor; Westlund, Oscar (2020). Communal News Work: COVID-19 Calls for Collective Funding of Journalism. Digital Journalism. Vol. 8. p. 673-680
Westlund, Oscar (2020). Mobile News. Ling, Rich; Fortunati, Leopoldina; Goggin, Gerard; Sun, Lim Sun; Li, Yuling (Ed.). The Oxford Handbook of Mobile Communication and Society. Oxford University Press
Appelgren, Ester; Krøvel, Roy; Lindén, Carl-Gustav; Westlund, Oscar (2020). Expectations, Challenges, and Expertise : The Importance of Non-Western Data Journalism. Mutsvairo, Bruce; Bebawi, Saba; Borges-Rey, Eddy (Ed.). Palgrave Studies in Journalism and the Global South. Palgrave Macmillan
Ekström, Mats; Westlund, Oscar (2019). The Dislocation of News Journalism: A Conceptual Framework for the Study of Epistemologies of Digital Journalism. Media and Communication. Vol. 7. p. 259-270
Erdal, Ivar John; Øie, Kjetil Vaage; Oppegaard, Brett; Westlund, Oscar (2019). Invisible Locative Media: Key Considerations at the Nexus of Place and Digital Journalism. Media and Communication. Vol. 7. p. 1-13
López-García, Xosé; Silva-Rodríguez, Alba; Vizoso-García, Ángel-Antonio; Westlund, Oscar; Canavilhas, João (2019). Mobile journalism: Systematic literature review. Comunicar. Vol. 27. p. 09-18
Chua, Sherwin; Westlund, Oscar (2019). Audience-Centric Engagement, Collaboration Culture and Platform Counterbalancing: A Longitudinal Study of Ongoing Sensemaking of Emerging Technologies. Media and Communication. Vol. 7. p. 153-165
II, Scott A. Eldridge; Hess, Kristy; Tandoc, Edson C.; Westlund, Oscar (2019). Navigating the Scholarly Terrain: Introducing the Digital Journalism Studies Compass. Digital Journalism. Vol. 7. p. 386-403
Westlund, Oscar (2018). ¿Periodismo móvil o periodismo en la era de los medios móviles?. Revista de la Asociación Española de Investigación de la Comunicación. Vol. 5. p. 10-14
Westlund, Oscar; Quinn, Stephen (2018). Mobile Journalism and MoJos. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Communication
Marina, Ghersetti; Westlund, Oscar (2018). Habits and generational media use. Journalism Studies. Vol. 19. p. 1039-1058
Westlund, Johan Oscar Andreas (2017). Interna förhandlingar om journalistikens framtid,. Norsk medietidsskrift (NMT). Vol. 24. p. 1-8
Westlund, Johan Oscar Andreas (2017). Mot en bredare ansats i medieforskning: om samspelet mellan aktörer, tekniska aktanter och användare i medieproduktion. Norsk medietidsskrift (NMT). Vol. 24
Westlund, Johan Oscar Andreas (2017). Nyhetsjournalistik i en mobil tidsålder: En genomgång av tio viktiga forskningsområden. Norsk medietidsskrift (NMT). Vol. 24. p. 1-12
Westlund, Johan Oscar Andreas; Lewis, Seth C. (2017). Four conceptual lenses for journalism amidst big data: Towards an emphasis on epistemological challenges. Nguyen, An (Ed.). News, numbers and public opinion in a data-driven world. Bloomsbury Academic
Westlund, Johan Oscar Andreas; Lewis, Seth C. (2017). Reconsidering News Production: How Understanding the Interplay of Actors, Actants, and Audiences Can Improve Journalism Education. Goodman, Robyn S.; Steyn, Elanie (Ed.). Global Journalism Education : In the 21st Century: Challenges and Innovations. Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas, University of Texas at Austin
Duffy, Andrew; Ling, Rich; Westlund, Johan Oscar Andreas (2017). Cold comfort: Lessons for the 21st-century newspaper industry from the 20th-century ice industry. Media Industries. Vol. 4. p. 22-43
Westlund, Johan Oscar Andreas (2017). Journalistik och falska nyheter – en problematisering. Norsk medietidsskrift (NMT). Vol. 24. p. 1-6
JR, Edson Tandoc; Ling, Rich; Westlund, Johan Oscar Andreas; Duffy, Andrew; Pei, Debbie Chin Goh; Lim, Zheng Wei (2017). Audiences’ Acts of Authentication: A Conceptual Framework. New Media & Society

Research reports (3)

Westlund, Oscar (2018). "Sweden" Reuters Institute Digital News Report. 140 p.. Reuters Institute Digital News Report
Andreasson, Torbjörn; Ghersetti, Marina; Pettersson, Jesper; Rolandsson, Bertil; Røsæg, Erling; Westlund, Johan Oscar Andreas (2017). Tolv trender i ett digitalt samhälle - SOMCRISC rapport 1. 125 p.. Myndigheten för Samhällsskydd och Beredskap
Andreasson, Torbjörn; Ghersetti, Marina; Pettersson, Jesper; Rolandsson, Bertil; Røsæg, Erling; Westlund, Johan Oscar Andreas (2017). Fyra samhällsscenarier för framtida kriskommunikation - SOMCRISC rapport 2. 77 p.. Myndigheten för Samhällsskydd och Beredskap

Dissemination (32)

Westlund, Oscar (2025). Fighting Disinformation - Norway’s Proactive Approach. American Educator. Vol. 49. p. 52-57
Ekström, Mats; Ramsälv, Amanda; Westlund, Oscar (2025). Etnografiska observationer. Ekström, Mats; Johansson, Bengt Erik (Ed.). Studentlitteratur AB
Westlund, Oscar; Boyles, Jan Lauren; Guo, Lei; Saldaña, Magdalena; Salaverría, Ramón; Thomson, T.J.; Wu, Shangyuan (2025). Digital Journalism (Studies): An Agenda for the Future. Digital Journalism
Westlund, Oscar; Krøvel, Roy; Orgeret, Kristin Skare (2024). Introduction to the Practice and State of Journalism amid Dangerous Times. Westlund, Oscar; Krøvel, Roy; Orgeret, Kristin Skare (Ed.). Journalism and Safety. An Introduction to the Field. Taylor & Francis
Westlund, Oscar; Saldaña, Magdalena (2024). A Transforming Digital Journalism Editorial Team Calls for a Tribute and a Welcome. Digital Journalism. Vol. 12. p. 1-5
Frantsvåg, Jan Erik; Westlund, Oscar; Aaen-Stockdale, Craig (2023). Vi har forlatt redaksjonsrådet i Publications. Khrono.no
Olsen, Ragnhild Kristine; Tenenboim, Ori; Hess, Kristy; Westlund, Oscar; Linden, Carl-Gustav; Broersma, Marcel (2023). Embracing paradoxes: Platform discourses and legitimacy building in public service media - A cross-national study. Stavanger - Münster Group meeting 29-30 November 2023
Olsen, Ragnhild Kristine; Tenenboim, Ori; Westlund, Oscar; Hess, Kristy; Linden, Carl-Gustav; Broersma, Marcel (2023). Conflicts of Interests: A Cross-National Study of Public Service Media institutions’ Discourse Constructions About Platforms. 73rd Annual ICA Conference
Bélair-Gagnon, Valérie; Graves, Lucas; Kalsnes, Bente; Steensen, Steen; Westlund, Oscar (2022). Considering Interinstitutional Visibilities in Combating Misinformation. Digital Journalism. Vol. 10. p. 669-678
Duffy, Andrew; Westlund, Oscar (2022). Mobility, Smartphones and News. Allan, Stuart (Ed.). The Routledge Companion to News and Journalism. Routledge
Belair-Gagnon, Valerie; Larsen, Rebekah; Graves, Lucas; Westlund, Oscar (2022). There is Cap: Platforms-Fact-Checkers Cross Sector Partnerships. 9th European Communication Conference
Hess, Kristy; Jnr, Edson Tandoc; Westlund, Oscar (2022). Editorial: Digital Journalism Studies, Its Core and Periphery. Digital Journalism. Vol. 10. p. 1-7
Westlund, Oscar; Bélair-Gagnon, Valérie; Graves, Lucas; Larsen, Rebekah; Steensen, Steen (2022). What is the Problem with Misinformation? Fact-checking as a problem-solving practice. 9th European Communication Conference
Steensen, Steen; Belair-Gagnon, Valerie; Graves, Lucas; Kalsnes, Bente; Westlund, Oscar (2021). Journalism and Source Criticism. New Norms for Assessing Truth-Claims. Futurte of Journalism Conference
Duffy, Andrew; Ling, Rich; Kim, Nuri; JR, Edson Tandoc; Westlund, Oscar (2021). News: Mobiles, Mobilities and Their Meeting Points. Duffy, Andrew; Kim, Nuri; Ling, Rich; JR, Edson Tandoc; Westlund, Oscar (Ed.). Mobile News Journalism’s Shift from Fixed to Fluid. Routledge
II, Scott A. Eldridge; Hess, Kristy; JR, Edson Tandoc; Westlund, Oscar (2021). Digital Journalism (Studies); Defining the Field. II, Scott A. Eldridge; Hess, Kristy; JR, Edson Tandoc; Westlund, Oscar (Ed.). Definitions of Digital Journalism (Studies). Routledge
JR, Edson Tandoc; Hess, Kristy; II, Scott A. Eldridge; Westlund, Oscar (2020). Diversifying Diversity in Digital Journalism Studies: Reflexive Research, Reviewing and Publishing. Digital Journalism. Vol. 8. p. 301-309
Ekström, Mats; Lewis, Seth C.; Waldenstrom, Amanda; Westlund, Oscar (2020). Epistemologies of digital journalism and the study of misinformation. New Media & Society. Vol. 22. p. 205-212
Duffy, Andrew; Ling, Rich; Kim, Nuri; Tandoc, Edson; Westlund, Oscar (2020). News: Mobiles, Mobilities and Their Meeting Points. Digital Journalism. Vol. 8. p. 1-14
Westlund, Oscar; Murschetz, Paul Clemens (2020). Participatory Journalism and Mediatized Engagement. A Critical Discussion of Two Emergent Perspectives on Digital Journalism Research. JOCIS - Journal of Creative Industries and Cultural Studies. Vol. 4. p. 54-73
Sævik, Bjørnar Torvholm; Laws, Ana Luisa Sánchez; Westlund, Oscar (2019). Audience agency in immersive journalism. Seeing journalism as an actor-network. 95 p.. Høgskulen i Volda
Westlund, Oscar (2019). Digital Journalism and Epistemologies of News Production. Nussbaum, Jon F. (Ed.). Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Communication.. Oxford University Press
Westlund, Oscar (2019). Etnografiska metoder. Mats, Ekström; Johansson, Bengt (Ed.). Studentlitteratur AB
Eldridge, Scott; Kristy, Hess; Tandoc, Edson; Westlund, Oscar (2019). Editorial: Diversity in Digital Journalism. Digital Journalism. Vol. 7. p. 549-553
Belair-Gagnon, Valerie; Holton, Avery; Westlund, Oscar (2019). Space for the liminal. Media and Communication. Vol. 7. p. 1-7
Eldridge, Scott; Hess, Kristy; Tandoc, Edson; Westlund, Oscar (2019). Editorial: Digital Journalism (Studies) – Defining the Field. Digital Journalism. Vol. 7. p. 315-319
Westlund, Oscar (2018). Editorial. Digital Journalism. Vol. 6. p. 1288-1293
Westlund, Oscar; Mats, Ekström (2018). News and Participation through and beyond Proprietary Platforms in an Age of Social Media. Media and Communication. Vol. 6. p. 1-10
Brennen, Bonnie; Hanusch, Folker; Westlund, Oscar (2018). Editorial. Digital Journalism. Vol. 6. p. 1-3
Brennen, Bonnie; Hanusch, Folker; Westlund, Oscar (2018). Editorial. Journalism Practice. Vol. 12. p. 1-3
Brennen, Bonnie; Hanusch, Folker; Westlund, Oscar (2018). Editorial. Journalism Studies. Vol. 19. p. 1-3
Westlund, Johan Oscar Andreas (2017). Sweden. Newman, Nic; Fletcher, Richard; Levy, David; Nielsen, Rasmus Kleis (Ed.). Reuters Institute Digital News Report. University of Oxford

These publications are obtained from Norwegian Research Information Repository. The list may be incomplete.