A Global Pandemic and a Global Podcast
In the middle of the pandemic three students started working together with Dr. PhD Maria Konow Lund, Associate Professor at Department of Journalism and Media Studies at OsloMet, on a podcast that explores the risks within journalism. The global Covid-19 pandemic was the spark that set the wheels in motion
his extraordinary situation gave way to the original idea that the podcast would focus on Covid-19 and its influence on journalism around the world, while being able to observe the changes as they were happening. Thomas Johnstone (25), Åsta Marie Berg Sander (22) and Stine Førland (26) are all students at the media and communication bachelors programme at OsloMet, enthused by this idea, wanted to expand their understanding of what risks journalists face outside of their studies.
Associate Professor Maria Konow-Lund, Professor Ingrid Volkmer, University of Melbourne, and Professor Saba Bebawi, University of Technoloy University of Sydney created the research network and hub: The Global Risk Journalism. A network which presently comprise more than 60 academic researchers from all over the world. (Home | Risk Journalism Hub (globalriskjournalismhub.com ). Although primarily focusing on academic research, GRJH has been similarly focused on integrating students into the Hub. One step in that direction was to create a podcast, initially run by students. This new research group is dedicated to investigating the risks within journalism on a global scale as well as wishing to strengthen global relations amongst journalists, researchers, educators, and media organizations.
As the pandemic shut us inside our homes, keeping us from school and work, these three students managed to create the “Global Risk Journalism Podcast”. From their own homes and bedrooms, they have so far produced five episodes on various subjects within journalism, such as the fight for press freedom in Nigeria, how Covid-19 affected the American election and the evolution of digital journalism in Africa. The podcast team are now preparing for another five episodes that will focus on freedom of speech and journalism across the world which will be released throughout the autumn and winter of 2021.
You can find the podcast here:
https://open.spotify.com/show/21X5bEjvd8iutdPmc8QSJ3?si=ilwOMLGaRTyRDPDvpug0IA&dl_branch=1