Criticizing peers and colleagues - media critical columns in legacy media

Media criticism is considered important in democratic societies, as journalism constitutes a societal institution that possesses a certain power. However, news media is often criticized for being reluctant to shed critical light on peers and mediated power. Based on a combination of content analysis and qualitative close reading of legacy Norwegian news media during 2022 and 2023, this study investigates how journalistic based media criticism is carried out through the commentary genre. In the columns, four topics dominate: journalistic content, structure, press and democracy and power. Further, we find that most of the columns are addressing news media in general but also criticizing specific newsrooms and even particular journalists. Within the framework of institutional theory as well as theory of media criticism, we discuss the legitimization of metajournalistic discourse in the public sphere.