Norwegian Media in a Comparative Perspective

Undergraduate course

Course description

Objectives and Content

What role do the media play in Norwegian society? As the Nordic welfare states are changing, so is the relations between citizens, the media and democracy, and this course seeks to grasp the essence of these changes. The course explores Norwegian media institutions, texts, use and culture, drawing on cases from television, radio/podcasts, news media, social media, video games and film to critically discuss key features of the media in Norway, and to facilitate comparison across societies globally. From the perspective of media studies, the course provides a historically grounded, case-based introduction to understand Norwegian media in the digital era. 

Learning Outcomes

A student who has completed the course should have the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge 

The candidate has a basic knowledge of

  • the societal role of media in liberal democracies
  • key features of Norwegian media
  • media use in Norway
  • key economic and political conditions for media production

Skills

The candidate can

  • critically compare features of the media across different societies
  • give an overview of the characteristics and organization of Norwegian media in a global context

ECTS Credits

15 ECTS

Level of Study

Bachelor

Semester of Instruction

Autumn - irregular 
Required Previous Knowledge
None
Credit Reduction due to Course Overlap
None
Access to the Course
The course is open for students at the University of Bergen
Teaching and learning methods
Lectures and workshops.
Compulsory Assignments and Attendance

Approved workshop assignments. The assignments may be oral or written and may include media production work.

Accepted compulsory requirements is valid this term and the following term of exam.

Forms of Assessment

7-day take home exam, approximately 3500 words.

The exam will be given in the language in which the course is taught.
The exam can be submitted in English, Norwegian, Swedish or Danish.

Grading Scale
Graded A-F 
Assessment Semester

Assessment in teaching semester and the following semester

In this course, a regular exam is offered in both semesters.

Students who meet the requirements for a retake exam (according to UiB Regulations § 5-6) are referred to the next regular exam.

Reading List
The reading list will be ready before 1 July for the autumn semester.
Course Evaluation
All courses are evaluated according to UiB's system for quality assurance of education.
Programme Committee
The Programme Committee is responsible for the content, structure and quality of the study programme and courses. 
Course Administrator
Department of Information Science and Media Studies at the Faculty of Social Sciences has the administrative responsibility for the course