Heidi Røsok-Dahl will defend her thesis for the PhD in Social Sciences, specialization Journalism and Media Studies with "Adapting the News to Reach Young People - An Ethnographic Study of NRK UNG within the Norwegian Public Service Media NRK".
The trial lecture will last from 10:00-10:45. The title is:
"Changes in youth-oriented news content in the age of dynamic gatekeeping: Explanatory, dialogical, and visual editorial practices".
The candidate will defend her thesis at 12:00.
The committee is:
Leader of the public defence is Vice Dean Steen Steensen, Oslo Metropolitan University.
Main supervisor is Professor Karoline Andrea Ihlebæk, Oslo Metropolitan University.
Co-supervisor is Professor Ragnhild Kristine Olsen, Oslo Metropolitan University.
Reaching young people with news is a task media houses worldwide are struggling with. This dissertation examines how NRK UNG, a youth-focused editorial group within Norway’s public service broadcaster NRK, adapts news production to engage audiences (13–23) amid declining youth news use and trust globally. Drawing on a systematic literature review, ethnographic fieldwork, and interviews, it analyzes how a non-commercial newsroom navigates digital transformation, platform dominance, and algorithmic constraints while maintaining editorial independence and public service values.
Through the lens of practice theory, the study conceptualizes adaptation as a continuous process shaped by activity, reflexivity, and materiality. Norway’s high trust in NRK provides a relevant case for exploring these topics. Empirically, the thesis examines NRK UNG’s use of Snapchat, highlighting tensions between engagement, gatekeeping, and platform dependency.
In addition, it focuses on the implementation of constructive journalism to reach youth. Drawing on the three published articles, the dissertation contributes to journalism studies by advancing an understanding of newsroom adaptation, of evolving gatekeeping practices, and through knowledge regarding how constructive journalism is used as a strategy to engage young audiences, while underscoring the many dilemmas facing public service media in the current platform society.