Despite boasting strong performance in global democracy rankings, Sweden grapples with impending challenges to its democratic fabric (Lührmann et al., 2019). The escalating prevalence of disinformation within an increasingly polarized media landscape has gained notable attention, spurring a proliferation of research studies and fact-checking initiatives to fortify the democratic society against such threats (Bakir & McStay, 2017; Holt, 2019; Waisbord, 2018; Allcott & Gentzkow, 2021). Simultaneously, young adults (18–25 years) seem to be progressively distancing themselves from conventional news outlets, choosing instead platforms where emotional narratives reign supreme and adherence to journalistic standards is not necessarily a given (Newman et al. 2023). Given the divergent media consumption patterns of young citizens compared to older generations (Boczkowski et al., 2018; Newman et al., 2020), it is crucial to understand this demographic’s conception of news quality. Moreover, the disinformation conundrum is intrinsically linked with contemporary research on democratic innovation, the evolution of representative democracy, and the enhancement of civic practices and forums (Norris, 2011). The challenge of integrating the younger generation into these discussions is a pivotal concern in this discourseThis paper investigates how young citizens construe quality of news and the factors that influence their perceptions of news quality. Despite the abundance of news sources available, young citizens may struggle to distinguish between high-quality news and misinformation. Through qualitative interviews with young citizens (ages 18–25), combined with analysis of biometric lab data (eye-tracking and GSR), we explore the interplay between actual and measurable reactions to pieces of news and stated quality assessments, highlighting key factors that shape their perceptions of news quality, including trust and source credibility, relevance, and format. We find that these factors interact, at times paradoxically, with one another to influence young citizens’ judgments about the quality of news. Our results show that news items that cause more emotional engagement are not necessarily ranked higher in quality than less engaging news items. Our results have implications for news organizations and media literacy education programs, and we suggest areas for future research on news consumption and young citizens.

Sweden has long been recognized for its support of human rights and its generous acceptance of Middle Eastern immigrants, particularly in the aftermath of the Syrian war in 2015. The country’s image is closely tied to its welcoming stance towards immigrants. Compared to other EU countries, Sweden had the most generous migration policy towards refugees and asylum seekers until 2016. Currently, nearly one in four people living in Sweden was born in a foreign country.

However, over the past 17 years, Sweden has encountered various crises related to Muslim and Arab immigrants. These crises have not only affected the country internally but have also impacted its global image.

This paper presents a longitudinal study comparing three significant crises: the publication of the Mohamed caricature crisis, the social services crisis, and the Quran burning crisis. It explores how these events were portrayed by different Arab media platforms.

The paper also highlights the issues related to the Swedish authorities crisis management.  

News media reporting on immigrant communities are often blamed for being biased or prejudiced. News organizations – especially tabloids and alternative right-wing news media – have been criticized for their insensitivity while covering immigrants, and for failing to adapt their reporting style to accommodate the new, globalized, multicultural immigrant societies. Instead, they tend to focus on stereotypical negative aspects of immigrant communities, often portraying them in a disproportionate or unfavorable light as “the other.” This chapter presents an overview of a selection of previous studies on the media representation of immigrants in the West. It further explores various approaches to reporting on immigrants and examines how each approach contributes to a specific narrative construction. The chapter concludes by advocating for a more “constructive approach” in journalism to effectively represent a multicultural society, as well as discussing the relevance of such an approach for educators. 

The chapter highlights the fundamental role that science journalism plays in bridging the gap between science and the public understanding of science and technology. It highlights how the communication of science, as well as promoting scientific literacy, can contribute to public engagement and and policymaking. The chapter underlines that there are many challenges that journalists endure (in the Global South), which are tied to education and training, as well as gender equality. It is imperative that journalists receive adequate training to properly interpret complex scientific data and statistics to ensure accuracy and reliability in their reporting.

In late 2021, a social media campaign about the Swedish social services started to grow rapidly. The claims centre upon social services’ use of the law on the Swedish Care of Young Persons (Special Provisions) Act (LVU). This is a law which allows social services to remove minors from their homes and place them in either foster care or in a family home. The current study aims at looking at the latest crisis with the social services and examine if the discourses constructed in the tweets and if there are other actors who contribute to the escalation abusing the situation of immigrants in Sweden. 

 Multimodal critical discourse analysis (MCDA) is the main method used to analyze the tweets. However, we have mapped the total population quantitatively to see the tweets language as well as mapping the location and keywords used in the tweets.

The analysis reveal a gap between decision makers, social services authorities, and immigrants. What is communicated is the violent actions that the social services perform towards the parents without any clear information about what is the process to take a child away from the family and what happens to that child. Sweden is constructed as a dystopia for immigrants when it comes to social services. They feel they are oppressed and discriminated. 

Diaspora community discussions on open online spaces in Sweden reveal different dynamics between migrants online. The chapter focuses on such platforms where one can examine the identities of migrants and critically analyse the discourses and ideologies emerging in the texts in commentary sections. This chapter aims to study the digital interactivity of the Arab diaspora on the Alkompis and Sweden Today Facebook pages. Additionally, it profiles the type of news the diaspora interacts with, by analysing their comments on certain issues tied to their home/host countries. To better understand the topic under study, quantitative content analysis and qualitative critical discourse analysis (CDA) approaches were applied.

LVU-kampanjen och koranbränningarna har blottat sårbarheter i den svenska opinionsbildningen med globala konsekvenser. Konflikter kring sociala myndigheters ingripanden, yttrandefrihetens och hetslagstiftningens gränser och kulturell rasism i de digitala mediernas tidevarv visar hur utsatta de svenska medierna och därmed offentligheten är för möjliga påverkanskampanjer och desinformation. Berättelserna om maktmissbruk och myndigheternas övertramp slår an strängar i konspirationsteoretiskt meningsskapande där olika samhällsgrupper ställs mot varandra. 

Den känslobaserade mobiliseringen av engagemang i sociala medier online men också symbolhandlingar offline eller IRL (in real life) ställer medierna inför ett antal utmaningar. Påverkanskampanjer utvecklar särskild kraft när de skjuter in sig på äkta och upplevda orättvisor och känslor av maktlöshet. Den journalistiska nyhetsförmedlingen hotas, men också myndighetsutövningen. Vad kan medierna lära sig av LVU-kampanjen och koranbränningar som hypermediala fenomen där den äkta och virtuella verkligheten förstärker varandra? Går det att återupprätta förtroende i den journalistiska rapporteringen? 

Research indicates that media reporting, particularly on immigrants, depicts them in a stereotypical image. This image is tied to the type of information and voices used in the stories which contribute to the poor quality of news reporting. A key issue driving these negative portrayals is the manner in which journalists refer to and describe certain groups, and whose perspectives and voices they include in their reporting. This practice within journalism has attracted significant critique. This study explores the potential for adopting a more constructive approach to reporting on immigrants. Utilizing constructive journalism and peace journalism principles as a theoretical framework, and Critical Discourse Analysis as a methodological tool, the article examines how immigrants were covered in the local Swedish newspaper, Barometern, between 2017 and 2021. Results suggest that integrating constructive strategies in stories about immigrants facilitates a more balanced representation.