Colonising the academy? Organisational mediatisation and public research institutions in Norway

Abstract

Public research institutions increasingly find themselves operating in a media environment. At the same time there is a growing body of research finding that public institutions and organisations are undergoing processes of mediatisation, which potentially threaten their autonomy. Based on interviews with communication staff at six major Norwegian universities and research centres, this study explores the extent to which these institutions have adapted to and internalised media logic. This study finds that the public research institutions to a significant degree are adapting to their media environments in terms of both organisational structure and communication practise. However, in terms of key operational areas such as research dissemination, the execution of research projects and managerial decision making, this study finds little evidence suggesting that public research institutions internalise media logic to such an extent that it critically impinges on their own processes and prioritisations.