Identifying best practices for journalism and press freedom in Sweden and Denmark

16.12.2019

The European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT) are conducting a Fact-Finding Mission to Denmark and Sweden. This is to identify best practices and recommendations for journalism and press freedom. For three days, from 16 – 18 December 2019, the delegation will meet with journalists, politicians, scientists and representatives of media organisations. 

The delegation will examine the case of Sweden and Denmark. 

Both countries have long traditions of constitutionally protected press freedom, a high organisational degree of journalists, press subsidies and level of trust in the media, and a relatively strong local press. Additionally, Sweden and Denmark appear to have a good environment for media workers to carry out their work. All the Nordic countries have been ranking highly in the latest press freedom standings. The conditions for a strong standing of the media in both countries are good: democratic tradition, relative prosperity and high living standards.

What can we learn from Sweden and Denmark?

The delegation will try to find best practices for policy-making that can be adopted in other European countries, but without disregarding the diverse legislative and judicial frames each country is facing. Further, the challenges media outlets all over Europe have been facing in the past decade such as, declining readership, financing problems- causing drastic cost-cutting measures- and decreasing media plurality, have also blighted Sweden and Denmark media markets. The mission will analyse these issues as well.

The aim is to produce and share a report at the end of the mission highlighting recommendations and best practices, for Sweden and Denmark and other European countries.