"Dirty local, green global" : A qualitative study on professional local journalism in a transitioning Swedish north

The aim of this study has been to investigate how the so-called green transition in the Swedish north shapes professional norms of local journalism in Norrbotten and Västerbotten. The study departs from theories on professional journalism, local journalism and journalistic roles. Particular attention is dedicated to the proximity dilemma and how the journalists maintain a professional distance to their audiences. The research is conducted through qualitative semistructured interviews with nine journalists working in Norrbotten and Västerbotten. The findings indicate that traditional professional values such as objectivity and neutrality, enacted through the watchdog and disseminator journalistic roles, are challenged by the so-called green transition due to the scope and complexity of it. The journalists’ professional roles serve as an armour against outside impact, and even if the journalists have personal opinions on the so-called green transition, they mostly do not consider themselves affected by them in their reporting. Furthermore, the local-global dimension of the transition indicates a re-negotiation of local community borders, which creates a dilemma of distance rather than proximity. This challenges professional local journalism, as it becomes more difficult to define the audience that local journalism is supposed to serve. The result of this study demonstrates that inherent aspects of professional journalism, such as autonomy and an ethics of public service, are worth examining in relation to societal changes. Moreover, it indicates a possible renegotiation of professional journalism, considering the challenges brought by the so-called green transition.