Alva Lohne Pahle came in first place in 2026 with her research project “From News to Narrative: How the Media Shape Our Understanding of Terrorism.”
The project examines Norwegian media coverage of two different terrorist attacks in the country in recent years.
The study focuses on the media reporting of the terrorist attacks carried out by Zaniar Matapour and Philip Manshaus in 2022 and 2019, respectively. Through her research, the student identifies patterns in the media’s editorial choices and framing in their coverage of these events and the perpetrators. She argues that the media, in this way, do not merely convey news, but actively shape our perception of reality.
About the School Programme
The Holberg School Programme is an annual research competition for students in Norwegian upper secondary schools i the humanities, social sciences law and theology. Each year, around 1,000 students from 20 selected schools participate in the competition.
The Holberg School Programme Jury selects three research projects that are awarded prizes of NOK 30,000, NOK 20,000 and NOK 10,000 respectively.
The finalists are announced in mid May, and the award ceremony is held during the Holberg Week in early June each year.