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tion is not available while the demand
for information is great. The attack on
Anna Lindh was unexpected and brutal
and immediately raised a number of
questions about how she was murdered,
the killer’s escape route, the motive, the
absence of bodyguards
and the personal safety of politicians.
There were no answers at first. Some
emerged during the investigation, but
some information was never disclosed
by the police for technical reasons.
Other questions, such as the motive,
are still unanswered. In an effort to
satisfy the thirst for information,
speculation was unavoidable to some
extent. Based on the journalistic criteria
of relevance and substantiality, it would
be absurd to completely sidestep some
of the most central aspects of the event
just to avoid appearing irrelevant.
At the same time, speculation and
exaggeration are well-known dramatic
devices that spice up a story, create new
intrigues and hold an audience’s interest,
which is another reason why they
are so commonly employed in news
journalism. Simple story-telling gimmicks
raise the level of suspense and
hold the attention of readers, listeners
and viewers. In the long term, they
sell more newspapers. This may also
explain their frequency in reports on
the Anna Lindh murder and the hunt
for her killer.
The relative frequency of non-identifiable
sources may also have several
explanations. Many of the anonymous
and vague sources who spoke in connection
with the Anna Lindh murder
appeared in articles and news items
about the 35-year-old suspect. By not
disclosing their names, the media protected
the identity of the 35-year-old
who was later cleared of all suspicion.
Ethical considerations may therefore
explain why names and photos were
not published. Another explanation is
that journalists only gained access to
confidential information by guaranteeing
the anonymity of their sources.
A third explanation could be that
sweeping source statements like “many
people consider …” or “most people
believe …” summarise what journalists
presumed to be public opinion.
A fourth explanation is, of course, that
there were no real people or sources.
Regardless of the circumstances,
however, the frequency of speculations
and anonymity led to vagueness and
uncertainty in the reporting of Anna
Lindh’s murder and the murder investigation,
which also reduced objectivity
and in some instances the credibility of
the news content.
The consequences
of media logic
The murder of Anna Lindh was a rare
and unique crime by Swedish standards.
It contained all the characteristics of
a “super prime story”, i.e. a sensational
and dramatic crime that is both national
and international in its newsworthiness
and receives extensive and detailed
a classic criminal drama | 139