Market Structure and Innovation Policies in Sweden

The Swedish media policy system stems from the Nordic idea of the welfare state, where the state has an obligation to enlighten its citizens and ensure equal social- and cultural possibilities for all. Similar to its Nordic neighbours the Swedish news media industry is characterised by financially strong and relatively large public service institutions that enjoy high levels of public confidence and trust in society. At the same time there is a developed commercial media sector that is protected by the rules of press freedom. In fact, the Swedish press freedom act, installed in 1766, is the oldest of its kind in the world. Historically high newspaper readership figures are now declining in Sweden like the rest of the western world. At the same time the decline of traditional media usage has been shifted into early adoption of internet services, where Sweden (alongside its Nordic neighbours) today have some of the world’s highest levels market penetration of mobile broadband.