A handful of big media companies own most of Sweden’s newspapers, including Dagens Nyheter, Aftonbladet and TV4. Ownership of the broadcast media is even more concentrated. The absence of local media in dozens of municipalities has prompted both public media and major private sector groups to invest in this area. 

In 1766, Sweden became the world’s first country to adopt a press freedom law. Today, the media are independent of political power. Media owners are immune from interference from the executive and legislative branches of government, and no elected official can sit on the board of directors of public media outlets or media regulators. The latest contributions to an ongoing debate on public media content and funding include a parliamentary report in the spring of 2024 and a call by the Sweden Democrats party for more control. 

Public media are regulated by an independent broadcasting commission which is part of the Swedish Press and Broadcasting Authority, while an independent media ombudsman handles ethics complaints. Journalistic sources are legally protected and the principle of access to public information is one of the cornerstones of Swedish democracy. However, amendments to the Constitution aimed at protecting information in the sphere of  international relations have raised concerns about possible sanctions against whistleblowers and journalists who reveal wrongdoing.

Although it is relatively easy to launch new media outlets, competition is fierce due to the high concentration of media ownership. Public subsidies are fairly easy to obtain and there is no discrimination against newspapers with radical political views – although this has been criticised. A new proposal for state funding for the media could result in more journalists being hired and could favour local media. In general, journalists in Sweden work freely and independently without any major constraints or risks of being bribed or fired because of their opinions. 

Online threats are commonplace for Swedish journalists. According to polls, almost one in five reporters say they have been the victim of harassment, with women, in particular, being affected. New legislation in 2023 increased the sanctions for perpetrators of threats, harassment and attacks against journalists. There are fewer women than men in newsrooms. 

The risk of threats and physical attacks against journalists is low, although journalists with immigrant backgrounds, columnists and women are more exposed. Journalists exiled in Sweden, for their part, face threats from the regimes of their home countries and by certain Swedish political groups, Swedish journalist Dawit Isaak has been jailed in Eritrea since 2001 while publisher Gui Minhai has been behind bars in China since 2015.