Nordstrom Byron J. Culture and Customs of Sweden (ENG)

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Media

THE MEDIA in Sweden (newspapers, magazines, radio, television, and the

Internet) have histories of varying lengths and importance. Naturally, print

media monopolized this aspect of Swedish life until the advent of th e radio

in the third decade of the twentieth century. Television effected its own media

revolution beginning in the 1950s; and today Sweden, along with the rest of

the world, is in the midst of new revolution centered on the Internet and

wireless communication devices.

EWSPAPERS

Printed media, which encompasses newspapers, broadsheets, pamphlets, and

magazines, have their origins in the introduction of printing in the early 1500s.

By most accounts, Sweden’s ﬁrst newspaper was Ordinarii Post Tijdender/

The Ordina ry Post Times, a government -sponsored source of national and

international news printed in Stockholm and circulated in very small numbers

via a developing national postal system beginning in 1645. This publication

later took the name Post- och Inrikes Tidningar/Post and Internal Times

(or The Gazette), an d ownership was turned ove r t o the Swedish Academy

in 1791. Publishing rights were transferred to Bolagsverket/the Swedish Com-

panies’ Registration Ofﬁce in 2007. Called the oldest newspaper in the world,

it is now “published” only on the Internet, a sure sign of the times. In its

present form it is describes as:

The Post- och Inrikes Tidningar (PoIT) is an ofﬁcial state agency on the Internet.

In PoIT government authorities and others publish information that is, accord-

ing to law, to be brought to the public’s attention.

The development of a press free of governmental control began in the

second half of the eighteenth century, during a special period in Swedish history

called the Era of Liberty (1719–72), a time when royal power was low and the

power of the parliament (Riksdag) high. During the ﬁnal two decades of this

period, a particularly lively political culture developed that included two rival

political “parties” called the Hats and Caps, heated election campaigns, and

intense political conversations in the press and the taverns and coffee houses of

Stockholm, especially. A Freedom of the Press law, enacted in 1766, contributed

to these developments, and a number of papers were published, mainly in the

capital, that were important voices in the debates of the time. Among these

papers were En a

rlig sven sk /An Honest Swede, founded in 1755, Dagligt

Allehanda/Daily General News, founded in 1767, and the provincial paper

Norrko

pings Weko-Tidningar/Norrko

pingsWeeklyTimesfrom1758.The

circulation of papers like these was small, large ly because of cost, but their

readerships were probably larger because they tended to “circulate” in public

settings such as coffee houses and taverns. Sadly, many of the freedoms of this

period and the political trends that deﬁned it were ended by a royal coup in

1772, and nearl y 40 years went by before writers and publishers were at least

partially free to express their opinions openly.

The newspapers of th e early n inet eenth century, although colored by the

political debates of the period, were often linked to an individual. Such was

the case with what is frequen tly m entioned as Sweden’s ﬁrst truly modern

newspaper, Aftonbladet. It was founded in 1830 by Lars Johan Hierta, an out-

spoken Liberal. (Interestingly, he was often too outspoken, and the paper was

shut down by the government a number of times.) This was by no means a

mass circulation publication, however. Large-volume papers only deve loped

slowly over the course of the later nineteenth century, driven by entrepreneu-

rial zeal, the growth of an educated public, urbanization, political reforms,

and technological developments like the rotary press and cheap newsprint.

Milestones here were the founding of Dagens Nyheter/The Daily News

(1864), Svenska Dagbladet/The Swedish Daily (1884), and Stockholms-

Tidningen/The Stockholm Times (1889). Each was a Stockholm-based

morning daily that featured an expanded variety of contents and was less

expensive than older papers. The circulation of the last of these was ar ound

84 CULTURE AND CUSTOMS OF SWEDEN

100,000 in the 1890s (in a city of about 250,000), which reﬂected how news-

papers had become affordable and appealing to a mass readership.

During the early twentieth century, the number of newspapers blossomed

in Sweden, eventually reaching more than 200, and this prosperity continued

until about 1950. Major cities like Stockholm and Go

teborg might have half

a dozen or more major newspapers, and most small cities a nd towns could

boast at least one. It was during this period that Swedes became avid and

habitual readers of newspapers. Many subscribed to or purchased both a

morning and an evening paper. In part, this expansion and the development

of a loyal reading public was driven by the multiparty political system that

emerged in the early years of the century. Many papers expressed clear politi-

cal biases, and some were owned by a particular political party or popular

organization. These organizations encouraged reading, and their leaders

believed the press was an essential medium for shaping the society’s political

views. In terms of political opinion, for example, Dagens Nyheter was Liberal,

Stockholms-Tidningen and Aftonbladet were Social Democratic, Svenska Dag-

bladet was Conservative, Go

teborgs Handels- och Sjo

fartstidning was Liberal,

Ny Dag was Communist, and Ska

nska Dagbladet was Agrarian. As the list

below indicates, some of this party press remains today.

The peak for the number of daily papers was reached around 1950, and for

weeklies in the mid-1980s. A decline in the number of newspapers set in after

World War II. Believing that democratic policies in education, knowledge,

citizen participation, and a well-informed society are essential to a function-

ing democracy, the ruling Social Democrats instituted a number of measures,

beginning in the early 1970s and mainly in the form of subsidies, grants, and

tax breaks designed to stave off this process. These helped the smaller circula-

tion local papers primarily. Interestingly, while the number of newspapers fell,

readership grew. In part this was because of a growing population that largely

carried on older cultural habits, but it can also be attributed to a new kind of

newspaper, the tabloid. For example, Expressen,publishedbythesame

company as Dagens Nyheter, ﬁrst appeared in 1944. It adopted the new format

that was easier to handle, contained expanded coverage of sports and enter-

tainment, was intentionally aimed at a younger audience, included more

visual material, was distributed nationally, and was readily available at kiosks

and shops. Many other companies followed suit, and today most printed

papers are tabloids or compact format. Another t rend that began in this

period was the concentration of ownership of Sweden’s newspapers and other

media. Among the most successful participants are Bonnier AB, Schibsted

(a Norwegian company), The Stenbeck Group including Modern Time s

Group/MTG, Egmont, Allerts, KF Media (the Cooperate Association’s

media branch), and Stampen AB.

MEDIA 85

In the mid-1990s a global revolution affecting virtually all media forms

began, and it continues today. For newspapers, this involved content and

format options, distribution choices, the Internet, and even a choice of what

tech nology to use to read-watch-listen to a newspaper. I llustr ating the print

side was the introduction of a new generation of free newspapers, or gratistid-

ningar. The leading example of this was Metro, the ﬁrst issue of which

appeared in Fe bruary 1995. Retaining the tabloid format, this newspaper

was distributed via the Stockholm subway system and was designed to be read

in the time it took to commute to work. It embodied the concept of news

(local, national, international , sports, and entertain ment) delivered in brief,

readable, appealing form. Articles were short, analysis was minimal. There

was no op-ed section and, as one student of the paper has written, no effort

was made to form an emotional attachment with the reader.

The infrastruc-

ture of the paper was kept to a minimum. The staff of professional journalists

was comparatively small. Much of the news was taken directly from Tidningar-

nas Tel egrambyra

n/TT, Sweden’s main press bureau. Printing was contracted

out. Essential to the proﬁtabili ty of the paper was advertising, which had to

pay all of the costs. The success of Metro was quite phenomenal. Readership

climbed to more than a quarter of million. Parallel papers were established in

teborg and the Malmo

region, and, subsequently, Metro went international.

In early 2008, the paper’s parent company, Metro International SA, rightly

called Metro the “world’s largest international newspaper.” Speciﬁcally tailored

national/local versions were being published in 19 countries and daily reader-

ship was around 17 million in early 2010.

When other major owner ownership groups including the Bonnier group

(Dagens Nyheter)andShipsted(Aftonbladet) tried to imitate Met r o,a

86 CULTURE AND CUSTOMS OF SWEDEN

Metro, the leading “free” paper in Sweden. This daily has been published since 1995

and began a print newspaper revolution in Sweden that has spread to much of the

world. (Courtesy of Metro Nordic Sweden AB.)

competition ensued that has been called “the gratis war” (gratiskriget). Millions

of dollars were spent, and the losses these companies incurred were huge.

Ultimately, most either dropped the effort or cut print runs and adjusted their

free papers to ﬁt particular niches.

One thing that did not happen as a result of the coming of the free paper(s)

was the demise of established newspapers. Although a few have gone out of

print in recent years and there is a slow decline in the readership for all printed

papers, the picture generally remains positive for this media option. According

to the Swedish Newspapers Publishers Association (Tidningsutgivarna), there

were 165 daily newspapers in Sweden in 2008. Among the largest were:

Most of these follow a fairly standard format with sections devoted to

international, national, and local news, sports, culture, the arts, travel, op ed,

and the like.

The Internet and the technologies that have accompanied it form the sec-

ond major area in which the Swedish (a nd global) press is being revo lution-

ized. Almost all of Sweden’s newspapers maintain open and free Web site

versions. These provide up-to-the-minute coverage of the news and are

organized in the same section structure as their print editions. They are well

illustrated, carr y a modest amount of advertising, and offer all of the latest

digital options including extensive searchability of past issues, a range of

MEDIA 87

Aftonbladet Stockholm 388,500 Independent/Social

Democrat

Dagens Nyheter Stockholm 339,700 Independent/Liberal

Expressen/GT/Kva

llsposten Stockholm 303,100 Independent

Stockholm City Stockholm 255,300 Independent

Metro Stockholm 271,000 Independent

Svenska Dagbladet Stockholm 196,000 Moderate

teborgs Posten Go

teborg 245,000 Liberal

Sydsvenskan Malmo

121,900 Independent/Liberal

Helsingborgs Dagblad/

NST/Landskrona-Posten

Helsingborg 78,800 Nonpolitical

Lokaltidningen Mitt i

dermalm

Stockholm 70,700 Nonpolitical

Nerikes Allehanda O

rebro 65,300 Liberal

Nacka Va

rmdo

Posten Nacka 64,900 Nonpolitical

Kva

llsposten Malmo

55,800 Liberal

Uppsala Nya Tidning Uppsala 55,500 Liberal

GT Go

teborg 53,300 Independent/Liberal

audio and video choices that include interviews, and blogging opportunities

of much debated quality. In many ways, Sweden’s newspapers have become

truly multimedia. In addition, steps are be ing taken toward developing

e-papers to be read on a digital device.

The Internet press is not limited to just Swedish-language sites. It is a perfect

medium for many of the new Swedes. Al Muhajer News, for example, is a

Swedish and Arabic language news source based in Malmo

.ForEnglish

language readers there is The Local, an online daily.

In the context of these developments, readership has remained strong, and

printed newspapers are still preferred overall. Nearly 4 million newspaper

copies are printed every day—making Sweden fourth in the world in terms

of number of newspaper copies relative to population. More than 80 percent

of Swedes between 15 and 79 years of age read (at least part of) a paper every

day. On the other hand, a study from 2008 about reader use of newspaper

Internet sites revealed a trend that does not bode well for the printed news

format. Three fourths of 16- to 24-year-olds and nea rly that fraction of 25-

to 34- and 35- to 44-year-olds primarily read Internet newspaper versions.

It was not until the age of readers reached 64 or older that a majority used print

versions. Overall, 59 percent of Swedish-born, 61 percent of European-born,

56 percent of those born outside of Europe, and more men than women regu-

larly used Internet newspapers.

PERIODICALS

A related print medium is the tidskrift or magazine/periodical. The roots of

these extend back into the nineteenth century, and today the number

and variety are extensive. One catalogue lists more than 400—most of which

are in Swedish and not imports. Some of the categories into which thes e are

grouped include Antiques, Architecture and Design, Art, Automotive,

Beauty, Boating, Busines s, Childre n and Young People, Construction, Fash-

ion, Games, Health and Beauty, Knowledge, Leisure, Minorities, Nature,

News, Photography, Sports, and Travel. The leading publisher is the Bonnier

Group, which produces more than 50 periodicals including (for women)

Amelia, Damernas va

rld , M M a g a s i n,andmama; ( for men) DV Man and

Tek ni ke n s v a

rld; (about the home, food, and gardening) Allt i hemmet, Allt

om m at, Allt om resor;(forchildren)Kamratp osten/KP—established in 1873

and Sweden’s oldest magazine for children; (about business and the economy)

Privat affa

rer and Veckans affa

rer; (about crime) Missta

nkt/Suspect.

In addi tion, there are periodicals about minorities and ethnicity (I&M/

Inv andr ar e och minoriteter); literature and the Swedish language (Spra

ktidning—

until 2004, Bonniers littera

ra magasin—or 00tal); histor y (Popula

r historia

88 CULTURE AND CUSTOMS OF SWEDEN

and Allt om historia); sports (Golfbladet, Stopper Fotbolsmagasin, and Bilsport);

journals that span the academic disciplines and professions; and for children

of various ages (Kalla Anka Kamratposten, and Glitter). Among the best sell-

ing periodicals in Sweden are Bilsport, Sko

na hem, Popula

r astronomi, Sveriges

natur, Hemmets journal, A

ret runt, Bra korsord, Allt I hemmet, and Leva.

RADIO

Occasional radio broadcasts came to Sweden around the time of the First

World War, but regular radio programming did not arrive until January 1925

when Radiotja

nst began broadcasting on one fr equency for a few hours each

evening . This company, w hich was stat e regulated but not state-owned and

expected to provide news, educational, and entertainment programming,

enjoyed a virtual monopoly on the medium until the 1990s. Managed by a

board with representatives from several newspapers, the news bureau TT,

and the commercial radio set industry, it was reorganized in 1957 under the

name Sveriges Radio/Sweden’s Radio. It was then that the management board

was changed to include members from popular movements and commercial

interests, while the press’s share and inﬂuence were reduced. Further restruc-

turing occurred in 1979, and again in the early 1990s.

Today there are two central entities: Sv eriges Radio and Utbildningsradion

(Educational Radio). Each is managed by a governing board. UR develops

its own programs, but uses SR as its broadcaster. Throughout its history Sver-

iges Radio has been a commercial-free system. Until 1990, operating costs

were paid through a licensi ng fee (avgift) charged to radio set owners. Since

then, the fee has been levied on televisions and income shared between the

two media. The fee is set annually. In 2009, it was 2076SEK or about $255

(early 2009 conversion).

Initially, Sweden’s radio broadcast on a single AM station. FM was intro-

duced in the late 1940s. A second station, P2, was added in 1955. The third

and fourth stations, P3 and P4, were added in 1964 and 1987, respectively.

(The last was designated for local broadcasts.) Gradually, the extent of each

day’s programming increased, as educational elements, musical, dramatic,

and literary programs, and Sunday church ser vices were added. As early as

the 1930s, the system was offering a full array of programming across the

day. A small group of familiar announcers became well established, and,

depending on one’s generation, some programs were very popular. Among

these were Barnens Brevla

da/The Children’s Mailbox, which ran from 1925

to 1972 a nd was hosted for its entire histor y by Sven Jerring (1895–1979)

(known as Uncle Sven); kids’ adventure series like Dickie Dick Dickens,hit

parade music shows like Tio i t opp/Ten on Top (1961–1974) and

MEDIA 89

Svensktoppen/Swedish Tops (1962–present), and Radioteatern that broadcast a

wide range of dramas including Swedish classics by Strindberg and Lagerlo

Aided by the advent of the in expensive transis tor units and the introduc-

tion of 45 and 33 rpm recordings that enhanced music radio, the 1960s

may have been the heyday of traditional radio. It was also then that several

so-called pirate radio stations like Radio Nord came on the air. Local or com-

munity stations with limited broadcast range began to be licensed in the late

1980 s, and private commercial stations were allowed into the system in the

mid-1990s. The results included an unprecedented growth in the number

of stations and program options.

As in the case of the press, the computer/digital/wireless age, along with

the removal of regulations that had prevented the development of private

commercial stations, revolutionized radio in Sweden. In 1995, the ﬁr st web

broadcasts were aired. Digital broadcasting arrived in the late 1990s, and

wireless application protocol (WAP) broadcasting in the early years of this

century.

Today the choices seem almost limitless. Sveriges Radio remains a leader,

and its offerings can easily be explored at its a ward-winning Web site: http//

:www.sr.se/. There are the 4 national stations (P1–4), 26 regional stations,

and an ever-growing number of Internet stations including at least ﬁve for

minority groups or minority languages. There is something for every one:

international-national-local news, children’s programs, humor, educational,

and every genre of music imaginable. In addition, there are about 90 private

license holders that air one or more individual stations and a spectrum of local

or community radio stations. The latter are maintained by organizations, such

as church congregations or popular groups, and by educational institutions.

Their broadcast range is limited and their service mission narrow.

TELEVISION

Television came slowly to Sweden in the mid-1950s. The ofﬁcial beginning

is usually listed as September 4, 1956, and occurred under the auspices of

Sveriges Radio. For several years airtime was limited to a few hours a day on

a single channel. A second channel was added in 1969. Like radio, television

in Sweden was originally a monopoly and commercial free—supported by

license fees on users. Developments outside of Sweden’s control forced this

situation to change. Chief among these were sate llite and cable transmission

systems. The earliest satellite channel, TV3, began operation in 1987 as a

Scandinavia-wide medium and later split into separate operations for

Denmark, N orway, and Sweden. TV4 and Kanal 5, both commercial channels,

were added in the 1990s. TV4 offered a mixture of serious news and light

90 CULTURE AND CUSTOMS OF SWEDEN

entertainment that included quiz shows (for example, a Swedish version of

Jeopardy). The latter channel was a v enture launched by Jan Stenbeck who

went on to start the free newspaper trend in Sweden with Metro and to estab-

lish the Modern Times Group. It was intended to be strictly an entertainment

channel. Its motto was roligare tv/more entertaining tv, and its programming

included ﬁlms, soap operas, crime series, and sitcoms.

Rather than resist the internationalization of television, Sweden embraced

it. Today, half of all Swedes are cable connected, about three ﬁfths use

antenna, and two ﬁfths use a satellite system. There were 38 registered broad-

casters in 2006. In addition to Sveriges Television, they inclu ded media

comp anies that reﬂect ma ny aspects of Sweden’s increasin gly heterogeneous

society AB Sportexpress, Nordic Shopping Sverige AB, Babylon Media Fo

renin-

gen, Bahro Suryoyo Media Fo

rening, Europeiska-Sydamerikanska KIF Rio de la

Plata, and Three Angels Lifestyle Television.

What do Swedes like to watch? Naturally, the answer varies and depends on

age, gender, education, personal interests, and the like. News programs are

popular. The most watched is TV2’s Rapport, a dail y, evening program; and

Kanal 1 and TV4 offer competitive options. Popular c hildren’s programs

include Bolibompa and Lattjo Lajban. Swedish and international sports

including soccer, hockey, and auto racing have great drawing power. Quiz

programs like Tiotusenkronorsfra

gan/10,000 Kronor Question, Fra

ga Lund/

Ask Lund (University), and, most recently, the bizarre Boston Tea Party—

a blend of quiz program and comedy—have had strong audience support.

A genuine phenomenon in the industry is the adventure reality or

docu-soap program. Sweden has both created and copied its share of these. Bor-

rowing on a British idea, Sveriges Television initiated an enormously popular and

extensively copied series called Expedition Robinson in 1997. (The U.S. series

Survivor and many others around the world are takeoffs on this idea.) The

program ran for nine years and was scheduled to return in 2009. Big Brother is

another enormously successful program in this genre. Based on the Dutch

MEDIA 91

This is the logo of Swedish Television’s Kanal2/Channel2. Sweden’s second broadcast

channel dates to 1969. Today the national system has six channels plus one for the

web and offers a wide range of programming. (Channel logo used courtesy of Sveriges

Television/SVT.)