External influence on newsrooms and editorial staff has typically been considered a minor problem in Sweden. Public service media charters and organisational structures minimise the risk of direct political interference in news production. Sponsorship in public television is strictly regulated, with a limit on the number of yearly events that can be sponsored. In commercial television, rising revenues might be hidden in product placements by external production companies.
In print media, the editor-in-chief has a strong position according to press laws. Newspapers generally have no formal links to political parties, and political opinions are expressed only on editorial and debate pages.
Commercial pressure from large advertisers sometimes exists but is not common, neither on national nor local levels. It is also important to note that overall revenue patterns have changed for private media companies. Morning newspapers used to rely heavily on advertisement revenues, but now receive most of their income from subscriptions. In 2017, reports from the Swedish Newspapers’ Association showed that 55 per cent of newspapers’ average revenue came from subscriptions. This development also makes private media less sensitive to pressure from advertisers.
