Ethical statement

My research touches the frontiers of media development in a time where many media organizations – old as well as new ones – struggle to make sense of their contingencies and figure out which direction to go. For this reason, actors in the field I research often ask for advice, feedback, and input. This can, obviously, challenge the position from which I conduct my research as it, potentially, brings my arms-length distance to the objects of study and the “objective” approach into question (to the extent that I accept the requests).

To ensure maximum transparency on this issue, I use this page to outline the principles I work from.

  • My work is financed by Roskilde University; that is, in the final instance, by the Danish tax payers. I consider public dissemination of research-based knowledge a duty (and one I most often enjoy) as long as it does not obstruct my primary tasks: research and teaching.
  • I own a consultancy firm. It has not made me rich. I am currently in the process of terminating it.
  • I sometimes apply for – and, in rarer instances, I actually receive – funding from foundations within the field I research. For example, both the Aller Foundation and Dagspressens Fond have both supported my work. When this is the case, I state it explicitly in the resulting publications and here on my website. The source of the funding does not interfere with the independence of the research.
  • I do not advise media companies on what to do. But I often discuss developments and trends with actors in the field, and I do occasionally collaborate with them on research projects.
  • I am a shareholder in a couple of companies that relate to my field of research (Alphabet, Amazon.com, and Microsoft). Should conflicts of interest arise, I will sell the stocks in question immediately.

Data traces, security, privacy

To help secure the integrity of your personal data, I do not use trackers on this website. I do embed material from third-parties on a few pages and that enables some degree of data capture. However, the vast majority of the website should be “clean” as I have done what I can to block third-party elements. Even so, I must admit that I am much better at researching than at coding, so no promises.