Stine Liv Johansen: “I try to stay away from comment threads like those on TV2”

What are your motivations for sharing your knowledge as an expert commentator?

For me, it’s both part of my work and a personal motivation to make myself available as an expert. It’s rewarding to know that my knowledge can help parents as well as professionals. My field, which is children’s and young people’s media use, often touches on topics that create conflict, and it means a lot to me to be able to contribute insight that makes a difference. I do this in interviews where I comment on policy proposals, for example. This takes place parallel with my more academic communication, such as writing articles and contributing to reports.  

What do you consider before saying yes or no to an interview?

Over time, I’ve gotten better at evaluating the angle and format of an interview. I look at who else is participating, and if I’ve been selected to represent a particular position in a polarised debate, I often say no. I navigate according to my gut feeling – sometimes I’m right on target, sometimes not.

How do you prepare?

I’ve had a lot of practice, so I just rely on that a lot of the time. If I’m going to be commenting on a specific topic, I’ll typically have a chance to read through the material or do some research first. I don’t have a fixed recipe I always follow when I prepare: it depends on the situation, the journalist and the media they come from. 

How do you balance the goal of communicating your knowledge in an accessible way with your commitment to scientific rigour?

It’s really hard, maybe because I work with a topic everyone is familiar with, has experience with and often has a strong opinion about. I imagine a biochemist might have a somewhat easier time on that front. I do my best to contribute nuance and precision, and to insist that both are important in this debate. I often appear alongside professional debaters who speak to a large political audience, and in these cases it can be a challenge to make facts and knowledge heard. In these situations, I try to break through by emphasising that you can’t understand this topic in terms of black and white – we do actually have knowledge based on research that gives us a solid foundation, even though it’s continually evolving as we learn more. In short: I insist that the nuances are important and speak in a language people can understand.

How do you deal with the criticism or pushback that expert commentators sometimes have to deal with?

Recently a debater accused me of dereliction of duty, and I’ve stood in the line of fire many times. I know that criticism is part of the game when you put yourself out there in the media, and I try to deal with it as best I can. Criticism can be a lot of things. If the dialogue is balanced and constructive, I’m happy to take part. But I try to stay away from comment threads, like on TV2, which are often biased and emotional. 

What impact do you think your role as an expert has had – both for you and for the public debate?

The nature of my influence has changed over time. Five years ago, when I was chair of the Media Council for Children and Young People, my influence was more official. But I know that my knowledge is still making a difference – for example for social educators, who draw on it in their work, and for students, who get something concrete they can draw on later.

That’s why I feel like I have a duty to share my perspective. When I’m doing this kind of communication, I often think of the professionals and parents who can use what I’m contributing in their everyday lives. That motivates me to keep going.

Do you check people’s comments on social media after your media appearances?

It depends on where the comments are and who writes them. I am always up for a constructive dialogue on my own social media accounts. There are always some people who just want to argue, and in some cases I have had to ask someone to stop following my account. I can’t do anything about what they write on their own accounts, but I can keep them from doing it on mine. And also I focus on the fact that there are normally at least ten times more positive comments than negative ones.

What do you do to get off the media treadmill?

It can be hard, because the media treadmill never really stops, does it? But during the summer holidays, I turned off LinkedIn and Facebook - I actually just deleted the app from my phone. In everyday life it’s more difficult, but I do try to put my phone down and talk to people about all kinds of other stuff.

In 2024, my New Year’s resolution was to disengage from the media a bit, and it went really well – at least until the end of the year. More of my colleagues started participating in the public debate, which also helped. And no, I’m not worried about becoming irrelevant. There’s a huge demand for our knowledge, so the more of us who help share it the better.

What's your best advice for colleagues who are considering making public media appearances?

Talk to your colleagues about it. Don’t feel like you have to handle it all on your own. There are some downsides to putting yourself out there, and you may have some sleepless nights as a result.

But do it anyway! We need new voices that can contribute to public debate. And we also need experts with different approaches. I have colleagues who will support me if I hit some turbulence, so find the colleagues who will advise and support you. Yes, finding yourself in the middle of a media firestorm can be wild, but popular communication is usually not that dramatic at all, and it’s actually really interesting – that’s also important to remember.