The role of the media

This chapter covers the media, everything from newspapers and TV to the internet and social media, and their role in a democratic society. In Sweden the media are free, protected by the fundamental laws, the Freedom of the Press Act and the Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression, meaning the state may not decide or influence what is said in the media. Journalists' job of scrutinising those in power is helped by the principle of public access to official documents (offentlighetsprincipen), which makes documents held by public authorities open to anyone, unless covered by confidentiality. Anyone who provides information to the media also has the right to remain anonymous and cannot be punished for it, while newspapers, radio and TV each have a legally responsible publisher (ansvarig utgivare) who is legally accountable for the content and must follow laws such as those against defamation.

The chapter distinguishes between different types of media. Privately and advertising-funded media, such as daily and evening newspapers, are often run by private companies and earn income through subscriptions, single-copy sales and advertising. Alongside these there is public service: Sveriges Radio (SR), Sveriges Television (SVT) and Utbildningsradio (UR). These three must be independent of political and other interests, offer a broad range of news, sport, culture and entertainment, and may not have advertising revenue, instead being funded through a fee collected via taxation; the idea is that everyone should have access to factual information regardless of where they live or what they earn. Finally, the web and social media are mentioned, where anyone can publish content, meaning what spreads there is not reviewed in the same way as in traditional media.

A separate section covers media literacy (källkritik), the importance of checking and questioning whether information you read, see or hear is actually true, since false information can spread quickly and shape people's views. Since the chapter clearly distinguishes between different media types and names specific terms such as SR, SVT and UR, as well as concepts like the principle of public access and the responsible publisher, the test is likely to ask about exactly these concepts and what sets public service apart from other media.