Banafsheh Ranji

Banafsheh Ranji is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Department of Sociology and Political Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). Her academic work spans media and communication studies, migration and racism studies, and sociological theory. She authored the book Journalistic Practices in Restrictive Contexts: A Sociological Approach to the Case of Iran (Routledge, 2022), which earned her the King's Gold Medal (Hans Majestet Kongens Gullmedalje) in 2020.

• Current research projects include: (1) Discourses of integration and immigrant subject construction in Norwegian language materials, (2) Racism in Norwegian media and its impact on belonging, and (3) Communication strategies of authoritarian states using Iran as a case study.
• Prior roles: Senior researcher at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (2022), researcher and lecturer at the University of Oslo (2016–2020), and PhD candidate at the University of Oslo (2016–2019).

Her publications focus on authoritarian media dynamics, immigrant representation in news, and systemic racism in Norway. Key methodologies include ethnography, critical theory, and discourse analysis. She has collaborated with scholars like Cristina Archetti and Kjetil Selvik, addressing topics such as the Woman, Life, Freedom movement in Iran and pandemic-era discriminatory narratives.

• Scientific awards: King's Gold Medal (2020) for outstanding contributions to Humanities.

Banafsheh contributes to public discourse through media commentary and performances like Immigrant infection (2024), exposing racism in Norwegian media. She teaches courses on migration and mobility, emphasizing intersectional approaches to media and social justice.