Outraged citizens in Sweden have vented their anger at the state broadcaster for being politically biased and misleading its viewers. In a protest held on Saturday, around a thousand people marched to the headquarters of the public broadcaster to express their dissatisfaction with the reporting of Sveriges Television (SVT) and Sveriges Radio (SR).
The organisers of the protest argue that serious problems faced by society are concealed or treated inappropriately by the broadcaster, while harmful and extreme ideologies are being promoted, and alternative media and its representatives are smeared or excluded from the public discourse.
“This harms Sweden as a nation. We do not want Sweden to be governed by extreme ideologies or international interests,” the organisers state, calling for objective reporting and a more diverse spectrum of opinions on topics such as the adverse effects of vaccines, NATO, migration, climate, and gender issues.
The organisers also want to end taxpayers’ obligation to finance the broadcaster. As of January this year, Swedish citizens have to pay a maximum licence fee of 1,219 Swedish kronor (€107) per year, or 1% of their income. Swedes are obligated to pay the fee regardless of whether or not they have a television set.
The protest coincides with the growing dissatisfaction with one-sided public media broadcasts all around Europe. In a debate in the Austrian parliament last week, Herbert Kickl of the right-wing opposition party FPÖ criticised the centre-right-green government for introducing a modified version of the previous licence fee, which now means that every household has to pay a fee of €15.30 per month, even if they do not possess a television set. Failure to register, or supplying false information, could carry a fine of up to €2,180.
Kickl accused the government of introducing yet another new tax in an era of economic crisis, one that would be used to fund state propaganda. The public broadcaster, ORF, he said, was lacking in both objectivity and independence. He added that his party was a frequent target of the ORF and that they would abolish the tax were they to enter government. Austria is set to hold elections in autumn, and the FPÖ is on course to win around 30% of the votes, although it is unlikely they would be able to form a coalition with any of the other parties.
A similarly negative sentiment towards public media services is being felt in Norway. According to conservative outlet Document, people are turning their backs on the public broadcaster NRK’s daily evening news programme, Dagsrevyen, which has lost 140,000 viewers in the past four years. NRK is criticised by many for being politically biased in favour of the Left, and for talking positively about issues such as the green transition, diversity, multiculturalism, and immigration.
In the United Kingdom—the home of public service broadcasting—500,000 households cancelled their TV licences last year. This allows them to avoid paying the hefty fee of £169 per year, but some would seek to avoid financing the BBC, which seems less focused on entertainment and impartial information than on liberal progressivism and diversity.
https://europeanconservative.com/articles/news/swedes-protest-state-broadcasters-liberal-propaganda/