Promotion of media diversity throughout the country

The plan states that democracy requires a diversity of channels for news and opinion formation and that the state must take responsibility for ensuring this breadth, and that culture and media must exist throughout the country. Giving media diversity the same weight as news distribution throughout the country and introducing a needs criterion follows from these commitments. The plan also speaks to the committee's reasoning that the support is an important democratic tool.

• media diversity for democracydecisive»Samhällets demokratisering kräver en mångfald av kanaler för information, nyheter, åsiktsbrytning och opinionsbildning.« (party programme ↗)“Society's democratization requires a diversity of channels for information, news, debate and opinion formation.”
• state responsibility for breadth»Staten måste ta en viktig del av ansvaret för att säkra en sådan bredd,« (party programme ↗)“The state must take an important part of the responsibility for ensuring such breadth,”
• culture and media throughout the country»Det är viktigt att kulturen står fri från såväl kommersiell som politisk styrning och finns i hela landet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It is important that culture is free from both commercial and political control and exists throughout the country.”
• generous media support»det är viktigt med ett generöst stöd till« (party programme ↗)“it is important with generous support for”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The election manifesto's explicit commitment is that media support shall provide conditions for independent and locally anchored news dissemination throughout the country. The counter-proposal wants to give media diversity the same weight as this coverage throughout the country and to add a needs criterion, which shifts the plan's prioritisation. The party programme's demands for diversity and everyone's right to news pull partly towards the counter-proposal, but the election manifesto carries greater weight.

• news dissemination throughout the country firstdecisive»Mediestödet ska ge förutsättningar för oberoende och lokalt förankrad nyhetsförmedling i hela landet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Media support shall provide conditions for independent and locally anchored news dissemination throughout the country.”
• diversity in media policy»Att motverka maktkoncentration och att upprätthålla mångfald ska vara centrala delar av« (party programme ↗)“Countering power concentration and maintaining diversity shall be central parts of”
• everyone's right to news»allas rätt till nyheter, saklig information och en bred samhällsdebatt« (party programme ↗)“everyone's right to news, factual information and a broad public debate”

The election manifesto promises to support independent media across the country and the party programme wants press support to be reformed so that it strengthens smaller actors and guarantees a diversity of opinions. The counter-proposal requires that media diversity be given the same weight as news distribution across the country and that a needs criterion be introduced. This aligns with the plan's commitments.

• independent media across the countrydecisive»förstärka yttrandefriheten och stödja oberoende medier i hela landet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“strengthen freedom of expression and support independent media across the country.”
• press support that strengthens smaller actors»omformas så att det stärker mindre aktörer« (party programme ↗)“reformed so that it strengthens smaller actors”
• diversity of opinions»garantera en mångfald av åsikter och yttrandefrihet« (party programme ↗)“guarantee a diversity of opinions and freedom of expression”
• the whole country shall be reached»Vi vill att hela Sverige ska få ta del av ett rikt och« (party programme ↗)“We want all of Sweden to have access to a rich and”

The plan's crucial commitment is comprehensive, independent and vibrant media coverage throughout the country, which means that diversity must not be subordinated only to access to news distribution. The plan also wants culture and media to exist throughout the country and monopoly-like dependencies to be countered through independent actors. The requirement for a needs criterion follows from the plan's principle that tax funds should be used sparingly.

• comprehensive media coverage throughout the countrydecisive»En allsidig, oberoende och livskraftig mediebevakning i hela landet är avgörande för demokratin. Pressfriheten ska skyddas och oberoende public service försvaras.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Comprehensive, independent and vibrant media coverage throughout the country is essential for democracy. Press freedom shall be protected and independent public service defended.”
• independent media»Tillgången till oberoende medier som står fria från såväl politisk kontroll och censur« (party programme ↗)“Access to independent media that are free from both political control and censorship”
• culture and media throughout the country»Att tillhandahålla kultur i hela landet är en viktig utgångspunkt för Centerpartiet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Providing culture throughout the country is an important starting point for Centerpartiet.”
• needs-based support»Politiken ska hushålla med skattebetalarnas pengar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Policy shall use taxpayers' money wisely.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The party programme wants to set an end date for press support and increase diversity through greater independence from the state, which lies close to the requirement for a needs criterion and to giving media diversity the same weight as news distribution throughout the country. The election manifesto wants to redo media support to promote scrutinising quality journalism throughout the country, a goal that the requirement for diversity does not contradict. The plan does not express itself about the support's criteria in detail, so the position is derived.

• time-limited and means-tested press supportdecisive»Reklamskatten ska avskaffas och en bortre tidsgräns för det nuvarande presstödet slås fast.« (party programme ↗)“The advertising tax shall be abolished and an end date for the current press support shall be set.”
• diversity through independence»Mångfalden i kulturlivet ska öka genom att fler kulturinstitutioner görs självständiga från staten.« (party programme ↗)“Diversity in cultural life shall increase by making more cultural institutions independent from the state.”
• redone media support throughout the country»Vi vill göra om press- och mediestödet för att främja en lokal granskande kvalitetsjournalistik i hela landet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to redo press and media support to promote local scrutinising quality journalism throughout the country.”
• media independence»Mediernas oberoende måste värnas.« (party programme ↗)“Media independence must be valued.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan demands that the state is responsible for cultural infrastructure throughout the country and that the whole of Sweden shall thrive, which argues for media diversity to be given the same weight as news distribution throughout the country. Restraint with public funds also supports a needs-based criterion for the support. A strong protection of freedom of expression presupposes a diversity of voices.

• the whole country shall thrivedecisive»Målet är att hela Sverige ska leva« (party programme ↗)“The goal is that the whole of Sweden shall thrive”
• diversity of voices»Ett starkt skydd för yttrande- och meddelarfriheten« (party programme ↗)“A strong protection of freedom of expression and freedom of the press”
• needs-based support»återhållsamhet i de offentliga utgifterna.« (party programme ↗)“restraint in public expenditure.”
• public services throughout the country»Fler poliser med lokal närvaro, utbyggd primärvård, enklare starta lokal läkarmottagning och inrätta fler statliga servicekontor.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“More police with local presence, expanded primary care, easier to start local doctor's office and establish more state service offices.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan's media policy goal is explicitly pluralism: a broad range of media in different formats operating freely and in competition, and it wants to reform media support. Giving media pluralism the same weight as news distribution throughout the country thus aligns with the plan. A needs criterion also corresponds to the plan's consistent requirement that tax money is used where it does good.

• broad and pluralistic media rangedecisive»Moderaternas mediepolitik har som mål att skapa förutsättningar för ett brett utbud av medier i olika format som kan verka fritt, självständigt och i konkurrens med varandra.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Moderates' media policy aims to create conditions for a broad range of media in different formats that can operate freely, independently and in competition with each other.”
• media pluralism for democracy»En mångfald av fria och oberoende medier som håller hög kvalitet spelar en helt avgörande roll för det öppna och demokratiska samhället.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“A diversity of free and independent media that maintains high quality plays an absolutely critical role in an open and democratic society.”
• reformed media support»Reformera mediestödet för att stödja den digitala transformationen och omställningen« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Reform media support to support digital transformation and transition”
• support only where needed»Offentligt slöseri i alla former ska bekämpas.« (party programme ↗)“Public waste in all forms must be combated.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan explicitly requires measures for increased diversity in media and reduced public economic control over the media sphere. That media diversity is given the same weight as news provision throughout the country and that a needs criterion is introduced is in line with this and with the demand for clear results for each public investment. The plan does not express itself on the closer design of media support.

• increased media diversitydecisive»Mediernas oberoende ska öka genom minskad politisk styrning från statsmakten och åtgärder för en ökad mångfald.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Media independence shall increase through reduced political direction from the state and measures for increased diversity.”
• reduced public media control»Minska det offentligas ekonomiska kontroll över samtidskulturen och mediesfären« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Reduce public economic control over contemporary culture and the media sphere”
• needs and results testing»Begära tydliga resultat för varje offentlig satsning« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Require clear results for every public investment”
• whole country to be reached»Bedriva en politik för hela Sverige« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Conduct a policy for all of Sweden”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.