Media and communication studies in Sweden

• Published in: Publizistik Vol. 66; no. 3-4; pp. 637 - 655
• Main Author: Springer, Nina
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wiesbaden Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden 01.11.2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Academic disciplines; Academic staff; Communication research; Communication Studies; Institutionalization; Journalism; Kommunikationswissenschaft International; Labor market; Mass media; Media Sociology; Political Communication; Social Sciences; Sweden; Undergraduate and postgraduate education; Sweden; Media and communication studies; Academic labour market; Nordic collaboration
• ISSN: 0033-4006; 1862-2569; 1862-2569
• DOI: 10.1007/s11616-021-00685-w

Media and communication studies is a comparatively young academic discipline in Sweden. The subject’s establishment began with the 1960s—a time when the expansion of mass media led to a bigger demand for analysis, education and critical reflection. Along with that, political and commercial interests in more knowledge led to commissioned research, another considerable factor in the subject’s development and institutionalization. The field was brought forth by humanistic and social-scientific strands, and some actors conveniently travel between these two since the demarcation lines are less pronounced in the North. Currently, roughly around 250 scholars are active in the field, with about 200 of them organized in DGPuK’s Nordic sister organization FSMK. Media and communication research in Sweden is also greatly oriented towards the broader Nordic context, institutionalized for instance through the Nordic Information Centre for Media and Communication Research (Nordicom). For scholars, the labour market is comparatively open, not only for other Nordic academics but also for entries from countries outside Scandinavia. For students, the field provides a rich smorgasbord of general and highly specialized programmes or stand-alone courses of variable length offered in both Swedish and English. This article aims to inform about the history and the contemporary conditions of Swedish media and communication studies, with a personal note based on own experiences.