This project will empower youths to stay engaged in public expression and participation.
Søndre Media is a community-engaged development initiative based at OsloMet Holmlia that seeks to strengthen the connections between media education, youth participation, and local communities. The project is primarily aimed at young people aged 16–20 and is built on close collaboration with local organizations, libraries, and youth centers.
Through workshops and hands-on media production, participants develop skills in photography, interviewing, writing, video production, and visual communication, while OsloMet students gain valuable experience in public engagement and intercultural communication.
Established in 2023, Søndre Media will launch a pilot youth editorial team in autumn 2026, involving young people from the districts of Søndre Nordstrand and Groruddalen.
Søndre Media is part of the project Young people with multicultural backgrounds and their understanding of news on social media.
More about the project
A central objective of the project is to provide young people with meaningful opportunities to articulate their own perspectives, participate in public discourse, and develop critical media literacy skills. The initiative is also relevant to broader efforts to promote diversity and inclusion within journalism. In September 2025, a study published by Fritt Ord and Retriever highlighted the lack of diversity in the Norwegian media landscape, demonstrating that individuals with multicultural backgrounds remain underrepresented both within news organizations and among the sources and voices featured in news coverage.
By addressing these challenges, Søndre Media contributes to the integration of diversity perspectives into teaching and learning at the Department of Journalism and Media Studies, while fostering sustainable partnerships between OsloMet and community stakeholders across the Greater Oslo region.
The project's model combines workshops with opportunities for participation in editorial and media production activities. Grounded in local communities, the approach is driven by young people's own interests, experiences, and aspirations.
Since its inception, Søndre Media has demonstrated tangible and successful outcomes in its efforts to amplify youth voices and increase the visibility of young people from Søndre Nordstrand.
In 2025, the project hosted a highly successful photography and interview workshop led by the acclaimed photographer, visual artist, and author Iffit Qureshi. The workshop provided participants with practical training in photography, interviewing techniques, and storytelling, culminating in a public exhibition of the work produced by the young participants. This initiative illustrates Søndre Media's capacity to translate its objectives of youth participation, empowerment, and representation into concrete and impactful results.
Participants
Partners
The project is a collaborative and development project between the inter-institutional research group Media Practice at the Department of Journalism and Media Studies (JM), which includes members from:
- the Center for Welfare and Working Life Research (SVA)
- the Department of Art, Design and Drama and the Faculty of Technology, Art and design (TKD)
- Students from the Department of Journalism (JM) and Media Studies and the Department of Art, Design and Drama (EST)
- existing initiatives at the district of Søndre Nordstrand for communication with youth environments
