Vitboken Medieskuggor och lokal demokrati i Växjö kommun – lokaljournalistikens roll i en hållbar digital samhällsutveckling redovisar resultaten från ett samverkansprojekt mellan Linnéuniversitetet och Växjö kommun som genomfördes 2024 - 2025. Projektet undersökte hur förändrade medievanor, särskilt bland unga vuxna, påverkar lokaljournalistik, demokratisk delaktighet och den lokala offentlighetens funktionssätt. Utgångspunkten är begreppet ”medieskuggor” – situationer där frånvaro av lokal journalistik, eller medvetet undvikande av nyheter, försvagar invånares möjligheter till information, delaktighet och ansvarsutkrävande. Målgruppen har främst varit unga vuxna (18–30 år), med särskilt fokus på grupper med erfarenhet av samhällelig exkludering.

This white paper, Medieskuggor och lokal demokrati i Växjö kommun – lokaljournalistikens roll i en hållbar digital samhällsutveckling (“Media Deserts and Local Democracy in Växjö Municipality – the role of local journalism in sustainable digital development”), presents results from a 2024–2025 research collaboration between Linnaeus University and Växjö Municipality. The project examined how changing media habits – especially among young adults – affect local journalism, democratic participation, and the functioning of the local public sphere. Central is the concept of “media deserts”: situations where the absence of local news, or intentional news avoidance, limits citizens’ access to information and accountability.

Political communication is increasingly affected by alternative media, especially in the realmof hybrid media, where challengers of mainstream news reporting and debate have foundnew inroads into mediated public discourse (Lieuwrouv, 2023). Whether politically motivatedor not, alternative news media can shape public opinion by presenting varied ideologicalperspectives. These outlets, from radical fringes to the borders of mainstream discourse, canintroduce previously unaccepted views into public debate (McDowell et al., 2022). Typically,the occurrence of alternative media is contingent upon the dominant and most influentialmainstream media in a given media system. The alternatives exist and define themselves inopposition to a perceived hegemony upheld in the mainstream (Holt et al., 2019). Alternativemedia and its current role in political discourse is complex, and it is necessary to considerboth its potentiality to contribute to diversity while also recognizing its corrosive potential (Ihlebaek et al, 2022).

In this abstract we present and discuss the central themes of a collaborative research project that examines the role of emotional mobilization in shaping democratic discourse and enhancing societal resilience amidst ongoing digital transformation. In today’s increasingly fragmented and hybrid media landscape, emotionally charged narratives—particularly those propagated by populist actors via alternative media and social platforms (Holt, 2023)—frequently challenge evidence-based communication, thereby contributing to heightened polarization and a decline in public trust. With the continued rise of populist and far-right political movements, it is crucial to understand how to elicit emotional engagement with active citizenship and forms of democratic deliberation. While emotional appeals are often portrayed as antithetical to rational deliberation, they may also serve as catalysts for democratic engagement, social cohesion, and civic participation. Our research questions how emotional narratives in the media may interact with and challenge evidence-based communication in democratic discourse, what role emotional mobilization has in shaping user engagement, polarization and trust in journalistic expertise, and how can an understanding of affective mobilization contribute to building more resilient, inclusive and trustworthy democratic communication practices.The core ideas that guide our research emerge from a collaboration between the A Questioned Democracy and Digital Transformations Knowledge Environments at Linnaeus University. Our research approach adopts an intermedial and cross-disciplinary methodology to analyse the interplay between emotional and factual appeals across diverse media ecologies (for the emotional turn in media studies, see Wahl-Jorgensen, 2019). Drawing on digital media content from Sweden—including alternative news sites, mainstream journalism, and social media platforms—the study combines computational methods (e.g., sentiment and network analysis), qualitative approaches (e.g., discourse and frame analysis), and participatory workshops to investigate how emotions and facts co-constitute public discourse (Acheampong et al, 2021).By moving beyond the conventional dichotomy between reason and emotion, the project seeks to advance a more nuanced understanding of affective dynamics in digital communication. In doing so, it contributes to ongoing debates on democratic resilience by examining how emotional mobilization can both distort and strengthen deliberative processes. The broader objective is to inform the design of inclusive, trustworthy, and emotionally attuned communication strategies—particularly within a European context characterized by epistemic uncertainty, algorithmic amplification, and rising populist influence (Moffitt, 2016).Although the project ideas described above are in currently in their early stages, this presentation will outline its conceptual underpinnings, research design, and collaborative framework. Emphasis will be placed on the methodological challenges and opportunities associated with studying affect, evidence, and trust in an intermedial, data-rich environment. The expected outcomes range from strengthening democratic resilience through improved media practices, informing public communication strategies that balance reason and affect, and developing educational resources and policy recommendations to enhance societal trust in democratic institutions and knowledge systems.

Skillnaderna mellan yngre och äldres syn på nyhetskvalitet är mindre än man kunde tro. I denna studie framkommer att bäda äldersgrupper värderar tillförlitlighet, opartiskhet och saklighet högst, medan interaktivitet - möjligheten att kommentera, gilla och dela - rankas lägt.

Känslomässig dramaturgi efterfrägas sällan och text ses som den viktigaste modaliteten; ljud bedöms däremot som nägot mindre väsentligt av de yngre.

Resultaten av studien visar att yngre nyhetskonsumenter inte bildar ett tydligt avgränsat, homogent publiksegment som radikalt skiljer sig frän äldre. Samtidigt är publiken i ständig rörelse och preferenser för vad som utgör god journalistik fortsätter att fragmenteras.

Utmaningen för traditionella nyhetsredaktioner är att snabbare fånga upp dessa skiftningar och leverera samhällsrelevant, demokratistärkande journalistik som verkligen når hela publiken, inte minst de unga.

This article delves into the news consumption strategies of young Swedish citizens aged 18–25, focusing on how they interact with and interpret news in today's digital landscape. Utilizing a mixed-method approach that combines semi-structured interviews and an observational study enhanced by eye-tracking technology, this research uncovers the nuanced ways in which young people engage with news media. The study identifies a variety of personal strategies for finding news, ranging from active search to passive reception via algorithms on digital platforms. Young Swedes exhibit a preference for digital news sources, utilizing a blend of traditional news outlets and social media to access information. The findings reveal a complex picture of news consumption that is both selective and diversified. While traditional news outlets remain important for their credibility, social media platforms are heavily utilized for their accessibility and real-time updates. By analyzing the interaction patterns and preferences of young Swedes, this study contributes to our understanding of the evolving dynamics of news consumption among young adults in the digital era. It provides valuable insights for media practitioners and scholars interested in the changing patterns of news engagement and the future of news dissemination in the age of digital media.

Rapporten sammanfattar ett två år långt forskningsprojekt, Young Citizens and Local News. What, Where and Why?, på svenska Unga och lokala nyheter 2025 – vad, var, hur och varför? Syftet med forskningsprojektet är att utifrån de unga vuxnas (18-25 år) egna perspektiv undersöka hur de idag ser på, värderar och hittar lokala nyheter. I denna rapport presenteras resultat och analyser i ett populärvetenskapligt format, där de ungas egna röster är utgångspunkt och deras egna uppfattningar står i centrum. Svensk lokaljournalistik har de senaste åren stått inför sin kanske största generationsutmaning hittills. Hur nå fram till unga vuxna som växer upp i en heldigital mobilbunden medievärld där olika plattformar, algoritmer och sociala medier ersatt förstasidor, papperstidningar, tv, radio, prenumerationer, betalväggar och fasta sändningstider i tv och radio? Det som växer fram är en komplex och ibland överraskande bild av hur den lokala journalistiken ser ut för en generation som aldrig behövt vänta på att nyheter ska komma till dem – nyheterna kommer ju av sig själv, till mobilen i fickan, i flödet och ofta utan att man ens ber om det (Vázquez-Herrero, Negreira-Rey & Sixto-García, 2020). Att unga vuxna tappar kontakten med traditionell nyhetsjournalistik har länge varit känt. Alla kurvor pekar nedåt: allt färre av dem prenumererar på en tidning, tittar på linjär TV, lyssnar på radio eller ens direkt besöker olika nyhetssajter (Mediemyndigheten, 2025). Men bakom den statistiska nedgången finns en annan berättelse – den om en generation som har ett intresse för nyheter, men där relevans för det egna livet och sättet nyheten presenteras på spelar en större roll för sannolikheten att de kommer ta del av innehållet jämfört med tidigare generationer. (Toff & Mathews, 2021). I en Medier & Demokrati-rapport från vårt tidigare projekt (Young Citizens and the Quality of News) presenterades resultat som visade att de unga vuxna som deltog i studien hade en tydligt uttalad önskan om att förstå och lära sig om samhället, men att de tenderar att välja sina vägar till information utifrån egna intressen, relationer, tillgänglighet och förtroende som ofta byggts upp över tid (Holt et al. 2023). De rör sig innehållsmässigt i ett hybridlandskap där journalistiska och icke-journalistiska källor fritt blandas (Geers, 2020). Algoritmer styr i stor utsträckning vad de läser men att själva googla eller söka nyheter via olika appar är inte ovanligt bland unga vuxna. Detta gäller även för lokala nyheter (Reuters Institute, 2025; Pew Research Center, 2025; Antunovic, Parsons & Cooke, 2018).

Det här kapitlet behandlar svensk och internationell forskning om två närliggande fenomen där personer som inte är professionella journalister bidrar till skapandet och spridningen av journalistiska produkter: deltagarjournalistik (participatory journalism) och medborgarjournalistik (citizen journalism). Deltagarjournalistik avser fall där icke-journalister har möjlighet att delta i skapandet av journalistiska produkter inom ramen för den traditionella journalistikens uttrycksformer. Det kan exempelvis innebära att de kommenterar nyhetstexter på nätet, skickar in bilder eller video från pågående händelser eller rekommenderar nyheter till andra via sociala medier. Medborgarjournalistik är en form av alternativ journalistik som drivs av medborgare utanför den traditionella journalistikens ramar

Despite boasting strong performance in global democracy rankings, Sweden grapples with impending challenges to its democratic fabric (Lührmann et al., 2019). The escalating prevalence of disinformation within an increasingly polarized media landscape has gained notable attention, spurring a proliferation of research studies and fact-checking initiatives to fortify the democratic society against such threats (Bakir & McStay, 2017; Holt, 2019; Waisbord, 2018; Allcott & Gentzkow, 2021). Simultaneously, young adults (18–25 years) seem to be progressively distancing themselves from conventional news outlets, choosing instead platforms where emotional narratives reign supreme and adherence to journalistic standards is not necessarily a given (Newman et al. 2023). Given the divergent media consumption patterns of young citizens compared to older generations (Boczkowski et al., 2018; Newman et al., 2020), it is crucial to understand this demographic’s conception of news quality. Moreover, the disinformation conundrum is intrinsically linked with contemporary research on democratic innovation, the evolution of representative democracy, and the enhancement of civic practices and forums (Norris, 2011). The challenge of integrating the younger generation into these discussions is a pivotal concern in this discourseThis paper investigates how young citizens construe quality of news and the factors that influence their perceptions of news quality. Despite the abundance of news sources available, young citizens may struggle to distinguish between high-quality news and misinformation. Through qualitative interviews with young citizens (ages 18–25), combined with analysis of biometric lab data (eye-tracking and GSR), we explore the interplay between actual and measurable reactions to pieces of news and stated quality assessments, highlighting key factors that shape their perceptions of news quality, including trust and source credibility, relevance, and format. We find that these factors interact, at times paradoxically, with one another to influence young citizens’ judgments about the quality of news. Our results show that news items that cause more emotional engagement are not necessarily ranked higher in quality than less engaging news items. Our results have implications for news organizations and media literacy education programs, and we suggest areas for future research on news consumption and young citizens.

African journalism practice presents unique opportunities and challenges that require journalists to be equipped with the necessary skills, knowledge, and values to engage in sustainable journalism. Training institutions play a critical role in ensuring that journalists are not only professionally-ready to execute their mandate but also that they can safeguard and promote ethical values in their everyday work. Some of these values include “truth telling, independence, objectivity, fairness, inclusivity and social justice” (Gade, Nduka, and Dastger 2017, 10). Africa, like other regions of the Global South, has several journalism training institutions that provide an opportunity to challenge “hegemonic epistemologies and ontologies of Western-centric journalism studies” (Mutsvairo et al. 2021, 993). In the context of this submission, the present study investigates the current state of sustainable journalism in Africa. We examined data based on a syllabi analysis of journalism programs in Kenya, South Africa and Ghana to appraise what role sustainable journalism education and training could play in Africa. Findings show that efforts are already in place across select learning and training institutions but also point to profound gaps in the curriculum, pedagogy and resources needed to prepare journalists for sustainable journalism.

Democracy as an experience of political organization is today undergoing multiple external attacks, and is the object of many internal criticisms. In this regard, one can imagine a City besieged by centrifugal forces, not least of which is the rise of the phenomenon of disinformation. There are many cities, like Kyiv or Dubrovnik, which are or have in the past been the target of disinformation campaigns that preceded and accompanied the assault of which they were the victims. Therefore, it seems necessary to review who are the actors and the vectors of disinformation today, to then examine who are the main targets and victims. Ultimately, this communication, in addition to the description of the phenomenon itself, also aims to review the responses that are provided by public actors to combat this scourge threatening the proper functioning of democratic deliberation.

 Demokracija, kao iskustvo političke organizacije, danas je suočena s brojnim vanjskim napadima i predmet je mnogih unutarnjih kritika. U tom kontekstu možemo zamisliti sliku grada opkoljenog centrifugalnim silama, pri čemu jedna od njih nije zanemariva – porast fenomena dezinformacija. Brojni gradovi, poput Kijeva ili Dubrovnika, bili su ili su još uvijek meta kampanja dezinformacija koje su prethodile i pratile napade čije su žrtve postali. Stoga se čini nužnim preispitati tko su današnji akteri i vektori dezinformacija, a zatim analizirati tko su njihove glavne mete i žrtve. Konačno, ovaj rad, osim opisa samog fenomena, ima cilj razmotriti i odgovore javnih aktera na ovu pošast koja ugrožava pravilno funkcioniranje demokratske deliberacije.