Media researcher: "Politicians should not interfere with individual media content"

On Thursday, SD: proposal to call managers of public service companies to the Culture Committee was voted down. The party wanted the managers to respond to criticism about lack of impartiality in SVT's Morgonstudion program and SR's P3 with Rebecca and Fiona.

Exactly what SD is critical to in the content of the radio program, the party does not want to go into. Regarding the Morning Study, the criticism is about, among other things, an element on the topic of youth robbery was discussed with "a very one-sided perspective", according to SD's cultural policy spokesperson Aron Emilsson.

Among those who responded to the play are Charlotta Friborg, responsible publisher for the Morning Studio, Mats Svegfors (M), Lawen Redar (S), as well as the chairman of the Culture Committee, Christer Nylander (L), who sees the play as an attempt at political control.

Maria Norbäck, associate professor at the School of Business and Economics at the University of Gothenburg and a researcher in the media and public service, believes that the play is intended to create distrust of, or play to, the public dissatisfaction with public service.

She says that SD has long been critical of public service companies because the party considers them biased.

- It is remarkable that they make this very strange play. It's a bit like the headmaster calling disobedient children to his office, says Maria Norbäck.

Lars Nord, professor of journalism and political communication at Mid Sweden University, is also critical of SD's actions.

- It's an unpleasant wording. One should not "call" free media representatives to the first state power to explain why an individual program looks like it does. It will be a terminology that does not belong to a democratic rule of law, says Nord.

Maria Norbäck is not surprised that other politicians have reacted negatively to the play.

- The traditional, democratic way for political parties to relate to the media is to hold waterproof shots - thus there should be arm's length. Politicians should definitely not interfere with individual content in the media, whether it is public service or other media, Norbäck says, adding that "there are almost a few dictatorial forms".

Although SD's play is unorthodox, the party has a lot to gain from it, Lars Nord says.

- The reason for doing this is because the public service issue has been politicized lately and SD, KD and M have sharpened the tone against the companies and criticized them for being biased. This means that these parties, and perhaps especially the SD, can benefit from paying attention to such an issue because there are more who agree with them today.

Lars Nord believes that we will see more similar plays in the future.

- In the past, the vast majority and consensus on public service have influenced a lot of investigations and proposals. Today, there is much to indicate that that time is over and that we are having more conflict on this issue. I actually see no other development right now.