Press Freedom and Globalisation - International Press Institute

Role of the Press
Press Freedom and Globalisation
The Scandinavian countries have long-established democracies that support the develop-
ment of media’s free and extensive role in society. Both the governments and the media
have contributed to the development.
At a constitutional level the principle is that anyone is free to publish without any
permission in advance. That was formulated in Article 100 in the Norwegian Constitution
of 1814. 35 Sweden has similar constitution but a more extensive legal system around these
instruments. 36 Another constitutional regulation which supports free media within the
private sector is the freedom for anyone to run a business. 37
There are many regulations of publishing activities. These include the system of
licence for radio or TV broadcasting because of limited access to frequences. Due to this
scantiness of frequence numbers, politics and commercial interests entered in the
distribution of licences. The politics have been to ensure that the airwaves bring cultural
diversity, local content, and many voices in the democratic processes. The economic value
of a frequency has sometimes been an object of charges or taxes as well. In this way, the
licence system for broadcast media has been an instrument where the authorities decide a
framework for content and economic conditions. Due to the democratic reasons behind
these politics, such regulations are considered to be in accordance with the freedom of
expression. 38 All the Scandinavian countries have strong public broadcasters which have
dominant positions in TV as well as radio. These operate within a framework decided by
cultural politics. The public broadcasters are mainly funded by public resources.
35
Eggen, Ytringsfrihet, pp. 35 and 95-96.
36
Eide, Den redigerende makt, p. 96.
37
Ibid., p. 35.
38
Eggen, Ytringsfrihet, pp. 47 and 611-632.
66