Managing Boundaries: A Study of the Editorial Administration of the Immigration Debate in Norwegian Newspapers

• In Event: ICA Interactive Paper/Poster Session II
  In Interactive Paper Session: Journalism Studies Interactive Poster Session

Abstract

2015 was marked by a record number of migrants and refugees coming to Europe largely as a consequence of the wars in Syria and Iraq. The dramatic situation has gained comprehensive media coverage and heated public and political debate about how this situation best should be handled as well as the social, cultural, economic and political consequences. Public debates about issues like immigration and integration are difficult and complex and they are often accompanied by meta-debates concerning what should be understood as acceptable or unacceptable utterances and legitimate or illegitimate voices. Consequently they can be challenging both to take part in and to facilitate. From this perspective debates about immigration represent an interesting case for studying editorial ideals and practices, and questions relating to the boundaries of the public debate. The study rests on 23 qualitative interviews with opinion editors that work in Norwegian newspapers.

Author

• Karoline Andrea Ihlebaek, University of Oslo