Nordic Perspectives on Strategic Communication: Myth and Reality of ‘Nordicness’

Over the past two decades, the Nordic countries have attracted atten-tion, for instance, due to their high rankings in surveys of happinessand a range of other economic and social indicators. This special issueinvestigates how strategic communication is theorized and practicedwithin this regional context, focusing on the distinctive conditions thatshape both conceptual frameworks and professional approaches. Inthis introduction, we rst ask whether there is such a thing as a Nordicapproach to strategic communication. We then consider how commu-nication practices may be in uenced by what is commonly referred toas the“Nordic model” – a concept associated with social-democraticwelfare states characterized by extensive public services, high laborparticipation, and substantial taxation. While frequently cited asa blueprint for e ective welfare governance, the Nordic model is alsoincreasingly used as a lens for interpreting regional communicationnorms. We outline the main features typically attributed to the Nordicmodel and critically assess its usefulness as an analytical framework,a myth, and as both a strategic resource and a constraint for strategiccommunication within and beyond the region. In doing so, we high-light the potential‘Nordicness’ that may underpin strategic commu-nication and prepare the ground for the contributions presented inthis special issue.