I am professor of media studies, researching audiences and cross-media use. My research explores 1) how people connect to society and use and avoid news, 2) meanings of media in everyday life, and 3) people's perceptions of datafication, algorithms and digital technologies. I work primarily with qualitative methods.

NEW BOOK: In fall 2026, Hallvard Moe and I will publish Too Much News: Understanding News Saturation with Bristol University Press. This book is based on in-depth research into news experiences in everyday contexts, and explains why many feel overwhelmed by news in the digital attention economy. The e-book will be open access and free to read online. 

My former book Media Use in Digital Everyday Life is also published with open access, and can be downloaded or read free of charge here. In the book, I discuss how media use has changed since smartphones, social media and digital platforms became part of our lives. 

I am one of the series editors for Transforming Communications - Studies in Cross-Media Research, a book series published by Palgrave/Springer to advance international scholarship on cross-media and datafication. Please contact us if you have a book idea to discuss! 

Together with my colleague Hallvard Moe I lead Bergen Media Studies Research Group, an active research environment for media use and audience research at the University of Bergen. We collaborate with international colleagues and support young researchers. 

I am PI for two research projects funded by the Research Council of Norway: IMAGINE (Citizen perceptions of AI in everyday media life) explores emerging folk theories of AI, while Media Use in Crisis Situations analyses how people relate to climate change and other societal crises through everyday media use. 

Previously, I was work package leader in MediaFutures, a research centre for research-driven innovation. Other former projects include MeCIn, a broad study of media use and public connection in Norway, and Digitox, on intrusive media and digital disconnection. I was co-director of CEDAR - Consortium on Emerging Directions in Audience Research (2014-2017), an European network and research project that conducted a foresight analysis of audience research. Read more in our book The Future of Audiences, or our agenda for research priorities.

"Citizen Perceptions of AI in Everyday Media Life (Imagine)". PI, research project (2025-2029) funded by the Norwegian Research Council. 

"Media Use in Crisis Situations: Resolving Information Paradoxes, Comparing Climate Change and COVID-19". PI, research project (2021-2025) funded by the Norwegian Research Council.

"Understanding Media Experiences", Work Package 1 in SFI MediaFutures, centre for research-driven innovation, funded by the Norwegian Research Council, the University of Bergen and industry partners in the Norwegian media sector.

"Digitox: Intrusive media, ambivalent users, and digital detox". Research project (2019-2023) led by Trine Syvertsen, funded by the Norwegian Research Council.

"Media Use, Culture and Public Connection: Freedom of Information in the 'Age of Big Data'". Research project (2015-2018) led by Hallvard Moe, funded by the Norwegian Research Council.

"Consortium on Emerging Directions in Audience Research". Consortium (2014-2017) led by Ranjana Das (University of Surrey) and Brita Ytre-Arne, funded by Arts and Humanities Research Council, UK.