Inclusion and exclusion in the mediated public sphere: the case of Norway and its Muslims

Abstract

Norway has in recent years been rated as one of the most democratic societies in the world. But how open and democratic are Norway's mediated public spheres when it comes to minority individuals? This article is based on in‐depth interviews with a number of individuals of Muslim background in Norway who in recent years have been active in debates in the mediated public spheres. I argue that the existence of a hierarchy of preference among Norwegian liberal media editors includes and privileges the voices of individuals of Muslim background engaged in critiques of Islam, while it often excludes Muslims who are not prepared to engage in such critique.