A Neoliberal Media Welfare State? The Swedish Media System in Transformation

Abstract

The concept of the Media Welfare State describes Nordic specificity in how media are organised and how they serve a lively and inclusive democracy. This article engages in a dialogue in regards to the contention that this media system has persisted in the midst of rapid social change. We synthesise previous research and documented changes in media policy in Sweden, covering the last three decades, to show the ways in which the Swedish media system has undergone significant transformations. Media use is becoming more polarised and connected to social class. The state is retreating from its involvement in media policy; consequently, the press and public service media are facing unprecedented challenges. Finally, the "consensual" relation between media companies and the state, which is said to be typical for the media welfare state, no longer characterises the media market. While some of the features of the media welfare state system remain in Sweden, the current media system is best characterised as a neoliberal media welfare state. The article discusses tensions and conflicts in the existing model and possible future developments.

The media welfare state: A citizen perspective

“…Results show that the media welfare state finds support among the Swedish citizenry (RQ1). This is interesting in light of the transformations and retrenchment of the media welfare state in Sweden and the Nordic region (Ala-Fossi, 2020; Jakobsson et al, 2021). While studies on the Nordic media market and media policy show the media welfare state transitions in liberal (Nord, 2008; Ohlsson, 2015) or neoliberal (Jakobsson et al, 2021) directions, the citizenry generally remains positive towards welfare-oriented media politics.…”

“…In a literature review on the uses of the concept Enli and Syvertsen (2020) conclude thus that most research deals with if and how the media welfare state manifests itself–be it in the Nordic gaming industry (Jørgensen et al, 2017), cultural journalism (Nørgaard Kristensen and Riegert, 2017) or the broader public sphere (Engelstad et al, 2017). Additionally, a critical strand of research has surfaced questioning the validity of the notion of the media welfare state against “actually existing” media policy (Ala-Fossi, 2020; Jakobsson et al, 2021).…”

“…However, the neoliberal counter revolution starting in the late 1970s has had a significant impact, not only on the welfare state (Kvist et al, 2011), but also on media policy (Ala-Fossi, 2020; Jakobsson et al, 2021). At the core of this development is the deployment of market-based solutions to policy problems concerning distribution of resources.…”

“…In the 1990s and 2000s the public service institutions were gradually transformed with the implementation of several “competition policies”, such as public value tests, demands for outsourcing production to commercial companies, governmental preview of public service media and the implementation of new models for governance (i.e. new public management) (Jakobsson et al, 2021). Following rapid technological development in the 2000s, changes in press- and media subsidies were implemented as well as a new funding model for the public service companies.…”

Fostering the data welfare state: A Nordic perspective on datafication

“…The media welfare state refers to a special model of media systems in the Nordic countries, with four pillars: 1) universal access to information through communication systems such as postal services, telecommunication networks, and printed and audiovisual media; 2) editorial freedom, referring to a range of measures used to safeguard editorial independence from state interference; 3) content diversity, with extensive cultural policies seeking to ensure the provision of alternative (domestic and minority) content, while diminishing the influence of global market forces; and 4) durable and consensual policy solutions. It has been discussed whether the media welfare state should be considered as an ideal or a reality, and that political and social changes have led to the emergence of the neoliberal media welfare state instead (Jakobsson et al, 2021). Furthermore, in increasingly datafied Nordic societies, it is reasonable to ask whether the pillars of the media welfare state are changing or need to be adapted.…”