Reshaping the Borders of Journalism

Abstract

The Saami and the Roma are both transnational peoples with robust journalistic practices. Although vastly different in socio-economic standing and relationship to the state, both groups choose to develop journalism and journalists to share their perspective of the world; and do so while remaining true to the distinction between journalism and propaganda. This requires access and ability to frame issues and actors, problems and solutions while maintaining professional journalistic standards. Media-both having one's "own" media and creating stories that appear in the "mainstream" media-is key to this practice. Saami and Romani journalists very clearly show there is a way to be objective without being neutral. By interviewing 45 journalists, journalism educators, funders, and evaluators across six countries, as well as examining primary source documents, I show that although emerging from radically different contexts, the Saami and Roma are both distinct nations stretching over two or more states-transnational-which allows, and indeed requires, a unique approach to journalism. I identify two distinct strategies in approaching the goals and practice of, "transnational peoples' journalism": nation building/speaking within and intervening/speaking outside.

Indigenous Political Journalism in the Norwegian and Swedish Public Service Broadcasters

“…Political journalism centres on events, processes, actors and institutions that concern governance and the distribution of power and influence in society. As Plaut (2017) recently argued, as did Anderson (2006) previously, in his modern classic on 'imagined communities', journalism has been and may continue to be an instrument for nation-building. To this, we would add state-building, cultivating cultural and political images and forging ties across territories.…”

“…Linguistic revitalisation is an obligation that Sámi journalists continuously emphasise, but this is not necessarily of equal importance for all Sámi media and in all parts of Sápmi. Cultural revitalisation can refer to many different processes, but for Sámi media, it often refers to revitalising Sámi identity, self-awareness and self-government (Plaut 2014). The question of whether Sámi journalism manages to fulfil its function as a watchdog is often posed in public debates.…”

“…Whereas the first concern concerns whether Indigenous journalism has the capacity and competence to critically cover national and regional issues and produce content for the Norwegian and Swedish audiences, the second concerns the extent to which they balance their loyalty and their roles as actors for cultural and political revitalisation with their roles as investigators of Sámi power relations. Studies have concluded fairly unanimously that the journalists combine these dimensions and define their roles as serving the Sámi community, investigating power and being part of the Sámi nation-building project (Eira 2015;Markelin and Husband 2013;Pietikäinen 2008;Plaut 2017). It is demanding to provide Sámi media stories for a diverse and fragmented Sámi audience while simultaneously being visible and fairly represented in equally fragmented national public spheres.…”

“…Previous studies on NRK Sápmi firmly established that the editorial team prioritises cultural and linguistic revitalisation (Plaut 2014;Skogerbø 2001). NRK Sápmi defines itself as an Indigenous broadcaster, realised through active international cooperation to increase and develop programme exchange, creation and development with other Indigenous stations around the world.…”