Press Freedom and Globalisation - International Press Institute
Press Freedom and Globalisation - International Press Institute
Press Freedom and Globalisation - International Press Institute
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<strong>Press</strong> <strong>Freedom</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Globalisation</strong><br />
media’s role in societies as supporter of ‘the people’s home’ notion of democracy. 19<br />
Present forces in economic globalisation are a serious challenge to this kind of media<br />
supported welfare system. 20<br />
Commercialisation of Sc<strong>and</strong>inavian media has followed patterns common to other<br />
Western countries. Popularisation of contents <strong>and</strong> restructuring of ownerships are among<br />
the results. An effect of popularisation is how content has to follow commercial logic <strong>and</strong><br />
achieve market objectives rather than political objectives. An effect of altered ownerships<br />
is liberation from political owners only to develop new ties to owners with commercial<br />
purposes. Despite media’s strong bonds to traditional Sc<strong>and</strong>inavian democratic values, a<br />
shift of power has taken place in newsrooms. Owners <strong>and</strong> managers adapt tough economic<br />
criteria that reduce the power of journalists to represent citizens. 21 In this way commercial<br />
interests have grown in importance as framework for press freedom in Sc<strong>and</strong>inavia.<br />
Reasons for <strong>Press</strong> <strong>Freedom</strong><br />
There are three given reasons for the growth of press freedom in Sc<strong>and</strong>inavia. First is the<br />
search for truth. Second is democracy. Third is love of individual liberty.<br />
Firstly, truth is a good in itself, or truth is a means to achieve other goods. The<br />
search for the truth, including discourse among competing truths, is emphasised as a pur-<br />
pose for freedom of expression in Sc<strong>and</strong>inavia. The belief that the truth will win is<br />
widespread in the Sc<strong>and</strong>inavian countries. Therefore, even wrong expressions <strong>and</strong> opinions<br />
are protected in public discourses. 22<br />
Secondly, democratic reasons for press freedom have been argued in two ways in<br />
Sc<strong>and</strong>inavia. On one h<strong>and</strong>, people need free information to be empowered to play their<br />
19 Dahlgren, Peter, “Media <strong>and</strong> power transitions in a small country: Sweden” in Curran, James <strong>and</strong> Park,<br />
Myung-Jin, De-Westernizing Media Studies (London: Routledge, 2000), pp. 252-253.<br />
20 Ibid., pp. 262-263.<br />
21 Ibid., pp. 251 <strong>and</strong> 257-258.<br />
22 Eggen, Ytringsfrihet, pp. 37-55.<br />
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