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Swedish politicians must safeguard and defend our unique system of press freedom and public policy. Write to several advertisers on the occasion of Press Freedom Day.
The need for true and relevant information and updates is enormous, both in peacetime and in Christianity.
Photo: Jessica Gow / TT
Journalists across the country now work 24 hours a day to report on the progress of the corona virus. The shows, live broadcasts, articles and chats are full of news, background, analysis and stories. The need for true and relevant information and updates is huge.
Critical questions are also posed to experts, government officials and politicians. Those responsible are consulted on live broadcasts. Public concerns, criticisms and questions are also included in the report.
Politicians and officials sit in television studios, are interviewed by radio and newspaper sites, and respond during open press conferences. No government censors citizens on social networks.
This is an opinion text in Blekinge Läns Tidning. The opinions expressed are specific to the writer.
We also have a unique Swedish public principle that allows the media and the general public to request documents and review the work of the authorities.
All this we see as obvious.
But that is not the case in all parts of the world, and it will not remain obvious in Sweden unless Swedish politicians defend and defend our unique system.
Sweden has the oldest press freedom legislation in the world; began to apply in 1766.
As democracy has broken through, it has grown, along with a functional rule of law, an open economy, scientific progress, and a society with high living standards and low corruption.
Free media independently examines and reveals abuse and abuse of power is an indispensable part of Swedish democracy. To balance the power of such a review, there is also a unique system of responsible editors, who are personally responsible for what is written and transmitted. For those who feel unfairly suspended in the media, it is also possible that the Media Defender will judge their case. There is an ethical media system that has worked for over a hundred years.
In Christianity our societies are tested, but it is in times of peace that we build them strong. Unfortunately, we have recently seen a dangerous development, where freedom of expression has been pressured from several different directions. Several times the crown crisis has been used as an excuse to reduce press freedom.
We have seen this happen in countries like Poland and Hungary, where journalism is now largely controlled by the state. We have seen it in countries like the United States and Brazil, where the country’s presidents describe journalists as “the enemies of the people.” We have seen it in China, which is now also trying to export its model of censorship and media control to other countries. But even countries like Japan, Russia, Thailand and India have reduced media freedom in various ways.
To name a few examples.
Swedish politicians rightly criticize these excesses and express concern about events abroad. They end up protesting against the unacceptable treatment of Swedish-Eritrean journalist Dawit Isaak in Eritrea and Swedish-Chinese editor Gui Minhai in China.
That’s good. Swedish politicians have a long tradition of protecting freedom of expression through legislation and respect for the public principle in Sweden, and they champion problems at the international level.
But in recent years we now see measures, proposals and proposals that seriously raise the question of whether this tradition is about to break.
Among other things, there have been several restrictions in the Freedom of Pressure Regulation and the Freedom of Expression Law. And the Secret Data Reading Law, which came into effect on April 1 of this year, risks journalists’ opportunities to protect their sources.
Often these legislative amendments are proposed for lawful purposes, such as fighting terrorism or preventing right-wing extremism. But they threaten to restrict freedom of expression and the ability of journalists to freely examine power.
Other works target public service, with proposals for allocation limitations and greater control.
The recent proposals, which allow individual journalists to be punished, are another example that reveals a clear lack of understanding of how the responsible publisher system works.
Unfortunately, the list of how the media is limited in its work can be made longer.
Free media should be troublesome and cumbersome for power. In times of peace and in Christianity. It makes society healthier and guarantees free and open debate.
The editors, who bring together Swedish publicists as well, on Press Freedom Day, urge all Swedish politicians to never forget the importance of free media and the right to express themselves.
Next year, on Press Freedom Day, let us summarize the wise initiatives and proposals that strengthen our important tradition, and not the other way around.
Editors, an organization of interest to Swedish publishers:
editor-in-chief of the Gothenburg Post
division chief, division program, SVT
CEO and editor in chief, SvD
tf vd, TU-Media in Sweden
program manager, SVT news editorial board
editor-in-chief Blekinge Läns Tidning
editor in chief and CEO, Dagens Arbete
head of news and sports, SVT
program director, Swedish Radio
senior advisor, Bonnier News
commercial area manager Bonnier News Local
editorial director, Egmont Publishing
Society Program Manager, TV4
editor-in-chief Västerbottens-Kuriren
