2015 became a dramatic year for both Europe and Sweden. The war that staggered in Syria and the in the Middle East caused people to flee in unimaginable amounts. For Sweden, which traditionally has a generous asylum policy, and in front of the refugee stream, was ready to increase its refugee quota, this year would change both the political climate and the media landscape. In a short period of time, opinion swung from an extreme to another, and the political rhetoric changed. In this presentation, on the one hand, we want to describe what actually happened; who were the players in the media arena, what actual events led Sweden to go from a relatively 

strong consensus on an open reception of refugees to closed borders? We also want to explore the role of alternative media (anti-system media) in this spell and how traditional media where obliged to relate to the proactivity and the impact of alternative media.