Transborder Journalism in the Danish-Swedish Oresund Region: A Case of Horizontal Europeanization?

• In Event: Local and Regional Journalism

Abstract

This article examines news and news production in the Oresund Region of Scandinavia. Theoretically the focus is on regionalization and transborder journalism as part of a wider process of horizontal Europeanization. Most studies on Europeanization concern themselves with vertical Europeanization that can be defined as the communicative linkages in news content between the national level (often the national Parliament and national politicians) and the European level (the institutions and actors of the EU). Fewer studies focus on horizontal Europeanization that can be defined as the communicative linkages in news media content between different member states of the EU. Also many studies on Europeanization tend to downplay the importance of news media practice and journalistic culture in the process of Europeanization. In this article we take the wider perspectives of regionalization and Europeanization theory and balance them with theories on news production. As a result we conclude that Danish and Swedish newspapers coverage of the Oresund Region may be seen as an example of weak horizontal Europeanization. However, the newspapers also face a number of challenges (some ideological, some organizational), when it comes to covering news that crosses even the narrowest of borders. First of all news is still inherently national in its focus and its choice of sources and thus few news items focus on the Oresund Region. Secondly journalists have little knowledge both politically and practically of what goes on in ‘the other country’. Thirdly journalists have established little or no cooperation across borders even if this could save both time and money.

Authors

• Jesper Falkheimer, Lund U

• Mark Blach-Ørsten, Roskilde U

• Veselinka Möllerström, Lund U

• Mads Kæmsgaard Eberholst, Roskilde U