Swedish Journalists Research Articles

Living the liquid life: Gender, precarity, and journalism in the post-#metoo era

Abstract Despite a long-standing trend of increasing women in the profession, masculine norms and gender inequality persist in media work. During the #metoo movement, Swedish journalists launched the #deadline campaign, shedding light on the connection between gender and worsening working conditions. Increasing demands for flexibility have institutionalised temporary contracts, eroded job security, and expanded job precarity, with women and young journalists disproportionately affected. In this article, we explore gendered journalistic precarity and systemic inequalities, challenging the assumption of professional homogeneity in the field of journalism. We conducted 23 interviews with Swedish journalists on temporary contracts, applying a feminist analysis to understand how power dynamics affect their experiences. Five years post #metoo, gender issues have faded from professional discourse. However, the interviews reveal continued gender discrimination and harassment, exacerbated by factors such as age, class, and position in the labour market.

The return of Place: When local media collaborates with public libraries

Generally speaking, public libraries and local media are quite different, but at the same time, they share similarities when it comes to promoting local democratic processes. So, what happens when they collaborate with a common goal? What are their actual similarities and differences? Can they collaborate in order to strengthen each other? How does this collaboration relate to the scientific discussion about public space and place, participatory journalism and civic engagement? These are some of the questions explored in this article. Our research draws empirically on semi-structured interviews with Swedish journalists and librarians in an unusual project with the aim to explore how new forms of collaboration between libraries and local newspapers could strengthen the information and media literacy leading up to the general elections in September 2022. The collaboration resulted in an increased awareness about the importance of place, as local media companies discovered how important place is for connecting with their readers. Furthermore, we draw the conclusion that both local media companies and public libraries could be more active when creating an arena for democratic discussions since there is great potential for more collaboration in the future. Even though they face different conditions, Swedish media could continue to explore this particular road to increased relevance in order to enhance civic engagement.

Impoliteness and morality as instruments of destructive informal social control in online harassment targeting Swedish journalists

This study investigates the interplay between morality, impoliteness, and moral order in the online harassment of Swedish journalists on Twitter. It reveals how impoliteness serves as a tool to harm the media's epistemic credibility, rooted in anti-press and populist rhetoric, and exert destructive informal social control. The highlighted paradox is that provisions for freedom of speech, designed to protect, are paradoxically used to suppress journalists' voices through targeted insults and derogatory language. The study uncovers that such harassment is systematic, politically motivated, and morally grounded. We emphasize the urgent need to recognize and confront these subtle tactics that threaten journalistic freedom and, consequently, access to information in Sweden and internationally under growing criticism that seeks to delegitimize the media.

Swedish journalists' perceptions of legal protection against unlawful online harassment.

This study examined journalists' perceptions regarding the legal system's ability to protect them against online harassment. By utilizing open-ended survey responses from respondents with varying levels of trust in the legal system, the findings suggested a need for increased technical proficiency, resources, and priority within the legal system to adequately address the issue. Additionally, a reciprocal relationship between the normalization of online harassment within the journalistic profession and the legal system's commitment to providing protection was identified. However, the study also found that when the legal system's mediated approach to online harassment is positive, it affects attitudes and norms relating to legal protection. Consequently, it reveals a unique insight into how journalists respond to the message conveyed by fair treatment and respect from the legal system. Notably, this result implies that when such messages are internalized, journalists feel more empowered to take measures against online harassment. As a result of this analysis, I propose that current laws should be implemented more effectively and that policy strategies should be developed to positively influence social norms and social control to bolster journalistic autonomy and freedom of speech in the digital age.

Swedish-American Borderlands: New Histories of Transatlantic Relations

Swedish-American Borderlands: New Histories of Transatlantic Relations

Narrating “Their War” and “Our War”

“Patriotic journalism,” a deviation from objectivity, has become an important paradigm and well-documented phenomenon in the analysis of conflict coverage. However, studies rarely focus on the link between journalists’ perceptions and narratives. We investigated how journalists from two countries, one involved in a conflict (Ukraine) and the other observing it from a distance (Sweden) relate to the objectivity norm in sourcing and narrating seven conflictive news cases in Ukraine (2017 to 2018). We found pragmatic commitment to objectivity in both countries, which was not always reflected in the content produced. For Swedish journalists, our results hint toward a value-based ally loyalty, which seems less stable than a tribe-based bond. In Ukraine, official Ukrainian perspectives were undisputedly disseminated; however, we did not find that they were generally positively laden, as one would expect for patriotic journalists. Trust in public institutions might be a deciding factor over the extent of patriotism.

Saamowie i ich kultura codzienna w filmie i reportażu z pierwszej połowy XX wieku – rekonstrukcja tożsamości w tekstach kultury

The Saami people are indigenous people and ethnic minorities living in Sápmi, which encompasses the northern areas of Finland, Norway, Sweden, and the Kola Peninsula in Russia. At the beginning of the twentieth century, interest in Saami began to grow among Swedish researchers, journalists, writers, and film-makers (Jordahl 2014). The aim of this article is to compare the depiction of the attributes of Sami identity as reconstructed in cultural texts from the first half of the twentieth century. The main subject of the analysis is the Swedish feature film Midnattssolens son (The Son of the Midnight Sun) directed by Rolf Husberg and Thor L. Brooks from 1939 and the non-fiction book by the Swedish journalist Ester Blenda Nordström Kåtornas folk (People of the Cots) from 1916.

Verification of Digital Sources in Swedish Newsrooms — A Technical Issue or a Question of Newsroom Culture?

ABSTRACT This article analyses and discusses attitudes and practices concerning verification among Swedish journalists. The research results are based on a survey of more than 800 Swedish journalists about their attitudes towards verification (Journalist 2018) and a design project where a prototype for verification in newsrooms – the Fact Check Assistant (FCA) – was developed and evaluated. The results of the survey show a lack of routines when it comes to verifying content from social media and blogs and considerable uncertainty among journalists about whether this kind of verification is possible. The development of the prototype initially created reactions of interest and curiosity from the newsroom staff. Gradually, however, the degree of scepticism about its usability increased. A lack of time and a lack of knowledge were two of the obstacles to introducing new verification routines. It is not enough to introduce new digital tools, according to the journalists. Management must also allocate time for training. The paper’s ultimate conclusion is that changing journalists’ and editors’ attitudes towards verification in this digital age appears to be guided by newsroom culture rather than technical solutions.

To Publish or Not to Publish? Assessing Journalism Ethics in News about a Terrorist Attack

ABSTRACT This article compares how the Swedish public and journalists assessed the ethical aspects of harmful exposure and dissemination of unverified information in news reporting of the 2017 terrorist attack in Stockholm. The analysis derives from comparable web surveys with 1092 journalists and 3881 citizens who answered identical questions about the attack. Focus is placed on ethics as an expression of journalistic practice and the influence of situational factors on ethical assessments. The findings demonstrate an overall similarity between the public’s and journalists’ assessments of ethical judgments made in the news reporting, but also notable differences. Furthermore, significant differences were found between journalists who had personal experience of reporting on the terrorist attack and those who did not. One conclusion is that the public assesses ethical decisions based on information aspects more than do journalists, while the opposite is true for considerations of personal integrity. The main contribution of this study is that it adds to previous research on the influence of organisational and individual factors by demonstrating the additional influence of situational factors on journalists’ ethical assessments.

The Return of the Clan in Sweden

This is a conceptual paper which deals with a subject that has been neglected by contemporary Swedish researchers, politicians and journalists: the clan society, which is one of the most common forms of society in the world—from which many of today’s nations seem to have sprung. The thesis of the essay is that the taboo around the clan issue has meant that we have no capacity to understand foreign policy or integration policy.

Polish and Swedish journalist-politician Twitter networks: Who are the gatekeepers?

The relationship between journalists and political sources takes different forms and extends from adversarial to advocating. Th e question which side ‘leads the tango’ has always been central to this approach. Since technological development has led to hybridization of themedia systems, the nature of communication has been reshaped in many ways. The emergence of social media has challenged the journalistic profession, especially journalists’ role as gatekeepers, but provided extra space for interaction with sources. Increasing professionalization of politics has reinforced the role of press secretaries/advisers. This is a comparative study of interaction among Polish and Swedish journalists, ministers, and press secretaries in Twitter provided by network analysis and three social network concepts as density, modularity, and centralization. In this analysis, a more influential position is conceptualized in terms of ‘communicative resources’ or ‘accumulated capacity’. Swedish journalists have more opportunities to act as gatekeepers or ‘key users’ in the Twitter network; in Poland, it is rather the political side.

Conditional Autonomy

Current developments in the Swedish news business have resulted in clashes between the professional stands of journalists and the incentives of their managers, or—from a theoretical perspective—a confrontation between discourses of journalistic professionalism and managerialism. While professionalism includes values of autonomy, self-regulation and public interest, managerialism on the other hand promotes business ideals, standardisation and organisational efficiency. Above all, it promotes a centralised management model of line control at the cost of collegial decision-making and peer review. But what does this mean in practice? In what situations does the negotiation between those discourses arise in everyday news work and how does it affect the autonomy of journalists? This paper aims to answer those questions by focusing on the experiences of Swedish journalists working in the tension field between professional and managerial discourses. This empirical study includes observation studies as well as interviews with journalists and their managers in four Swedish daily newspapers. The results clearly reveal a conditioned journalistic autonomy, and shows how professional ideals are tarnished. The economistic view of journalistic activities is forcefully and successfully implemented by management.

Making the most of Twitter: How technological affordances influence Swedish journalists’ self-branding

Journalists are among the most frequent users of Twitter, and Twitter has become an important platform for personal branding. Social media logic promotes not only a chase for virality and impressive metrics but also a mix of professional, personal, and private content, as well as sharing, interaction, and dialogue. Focusing one aspect of social media logic, the aim of this study is to analyze how the technological affordances of Twitter shape journalists’ self-branding in their account presentations and whether there are differences between groups of journalists. The study draws on a quantitative content analysis of Swedish journalists’ Twitter presentations and account information (N = 2543). The findings suggest that Swedish journalists on Twitter brand themselves as being more audience oriented, networking, and individualistic, projecting a mixed identity including both professional and personal features, and that social media logic influence journalists’ self-branding.

The beginning of revolution of the ”Solidarity” in Poland as seen by the Swedish media (August–September 1980)

This article is a case study on the role of media during the Cold War era. The aim is to present the effects of the ventures of Swedish journalists in Poland during the strike of summer 1980 and in its aftermath when the Polish authorities decided to accept the creation of a new trade union independent from the communist regime. How these events were interpreted and what kind of the future was predicted? The article will demonstrate that the creation and development of ”Solidarity” Trade Union was received with a great interest in Sweden as well as in other western countries. Besides, it proves that this interest was a result of the course and the meaning of internal changes in Poland. Their scale and the non-violent means by which they were reached surprised and impressed numerous foreign observers.

Editorial Foreword

Volume 9, issue no. 1 (2017) of Revista Română pentru Studii Baltice şi Nordice / The Romanian Journal for Baltic and Nordic Studies (RRSBN) is divided into three main parts. The first part deals with the Swedish perception of East-Central European 20th Century developments. The article bearing the signature of Paweł Jaworski of the University of Wrocław tackles the first two months Solidarność as seen from the perspective of the Swedish press. A very innovative article it details the imagology of the set up and evolution of the syndicate and investigates how the relations between this emerging independent civil society and the Communist Party evolved. The article corroborates press analysis with international relations and bilateral relations between Poland and Sweden and shows their impact on the rather privileged status enjoyed by Swedish journalists in the Communist country. The second article by Alin-Marian Dudoi focuses on Gustav Bolinder and Arvid Fredborg’s accounts of Transylvania at the end of World War II. Although the original Swedish books and their significance have already been investigated by some authors, the article looks at their perspectives in relation to the Romanian national credo and adopts the stand of the former which supported the claim that Transylvania should belong to Romania mostly based on ethnography.

News Media and the Öresund Region

AbstractThis article presents a first attempt to investigate the news content and news routines of Danish and Swedish news media covering the Öresund region. From a theoretical perspective, the Öresund region can be considered a possible best-case example of what is categorised as horizontal Europeanisation, in other words, of the potential for increased communication linkages in news media content among European Union (EU) member states. We investigate this topic by analysing news content published by selected media outlets from 2002 to 2012 and by interviewing Danish and Swedish journalists who cover the region. We find that most news content does not mention the Öresund region, and that one reason for this lack might be that neither Danish nor Swedish reporters consider the region to be newsworthy.

Journalism Under Threat

Previous studies of intimidation and harassment of journalists have (rightly) focused on non-democratic and authoritarian nations and/or transitional/emerging democracies. In this article, we examine the situation in Sweden, a country with strong de facto and de jure safeguards of journalistic freedom and autonomy. We report the findings from a representative survey of Swedish journalists where three themes are analysed: the extent of harassment, the forms of harassment, and the consequences of intimidation and harassment. The results show that a third of the respondents had experienced threats at work in the past year, and an overwhelming majority said they had received offensive and insulting comments. Intimidation and harassment also had consequences, both professionally and personally, such as fear and self-censorship. We therefore argue that it is time to add the dimension of external pressure and threats to the discussion of journalistic autonomy—including in countries like Sweden.

Cosmopolitan Journalists?

It has been argued that the future of journalism resides within a global media ethics. Accordingly, journalism must renew itself by becoming less parochial and connect “citizens of the world” to a “global public sphere”. In drawing upon a panel study with Swedish journalists, this paper shows that journalists do not define their everyday work according to the principles of global journalism. Most of them do, however, agree with such principles in normative visions of their profession. The paper furthermore illustrates the importance of taking into account various positions in the journalistic field when trying to identify global journalism. A small minority producing “hard news” for media organizations with national or international reach comes somewhat close to embodying the ideals of global journalism. For most journalists, however, everyday work consists of covering domestic issues for domestic audiences. As such, the study pinpoints a domestically biased doxa in the field of journalism that is unlikely to be overthrown in the near future.

Appropriating Social Media

The hype over social media and the rapid expansion of social networking and micro-blogging in recent years can easily lead us to believe that all journalists are online, chatting and tweeting, all the time. Previous research, however, indicates that the spread of social media differs between groups of journalists and that social media usage is related to the journalist’s age, gender, type of work and workplace. This paper advances our understanding of how journalists appropriate social media in their professional lives by examining the changes in social media use across time. We examine if and how the perceived usefulness of social media for various professional purposes changes over time, and if different categories of journalists change their usage in different ways. The theoretical perspective draws from theories on the appropriation and adoption of technologies. The empirical material consists of Web survey data collected in 2012 and 2014, targeting representative samples of Swedish journalists. Our findings show that the use of social media increased slightly between the two surveys but the expansion was levelling off in 2014. Some early adopters were abandoning social media, and there was a noticeable decline in the journalists’ valuation of social media affordances.

When Journalists Tweet: Disclosure, Participatory, and Personal Transparency

This article analyses transparency among groups of journalists by examining journalists’ tweets. It also answers a call from previous researchers on transparency on Twitter for further studies based on more representative samples of journalists. The study draws on a quantitative content analysis of Swedish journalists’ tweets during 1 week in spring 2014. The total number of tweets analyzed ( N) is 1,500. A total of 24% of the journalists’ tweets can be described as being explicitly transparent. However, the findings indicate that while journalists on Twitter indeed discuss how the news are produced (disclosure transparency), they show less personal transparency, and hardly ever invite the audiences to interact or take part in the process of making news (participatory transparency).