The Effect of the Commercialization of Swedish Television on Journalistic Culture

In: Harvard International Journal of Press/Politics, Band 4, Heft 2, S. 103-111

Abstract

Swedish television news has undergone a fundamental transformation in tandem with the reorganization of the welfare state. The sector was commercialized at the beginning of this decade, with clear consequences for the culture of journalistic practice. Before 1987, there were only two television stations, both of them public. Commercial satellite broadcasters broke this monopoly from abroad in 1991, when privately owned TV4 became available via the terrestrial broadcasting network. At first, public television news programs mimicked elements of their new rival's style, but subsequently they returned to traditional formats. Today, two TV journalism cultures exist side by side.