{"id":23531,"date":"2026-09-26T18:45:17","date_gmt":"2026-09-26T16:45:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nordmedianetwork.org\/?post_type=news&p=23531"},"modified":"2026-09-26T18:46:07","modified_gmt":"2026-09-26T16:46:07","slug":"media-cynics-or-disappointed-media-romantics-understanding-distrust-in-the-news-media","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/nordmedianetwork.org\/sv\/latest\/news\/media-cynics-or-disappointed-media-romantics-understanding-distrust-in-the-news-media\/","title":{"rendered":"Media Cynics \u2013 or Disappointed Media Romantics? Understanding Distrust in the News Media"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What makes people deeply distrust established news media? In their new book Nationens fiender<\/em>, Peter Jakobsson and Fredrik Stiernstedt examine some of journalism\u2019s harshest critics \u2013 and find that their relationship with the media is more complex than it might first appear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/div>\n\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\tMia Jonsson Lindell\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n \n Communication officer – University of Gothenburg, Sweden – Nordicom <\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEnemies of the nation\u201d. That is how Sweden Democrat MP Linus Bylund described journalists in a social media post from 2016. The phrase lends its name to the new book Nationens fiender: Populistisk mediekritik i en tid av demokratisk tillbakag\u00e5ng<\/em> [Enemies of the Nation: Populist Media Criticism in a Time of Democratic Backsliding<\/em>], a new book written by Peter Jakobsson, Associate Professor of Media and Communication studies at Uppsala University, and Fredrik Stiernstedt, Professor in Media and Communication Studies at S\u00f6dert\u00f6rn University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the book, Jakobsson and Stiernstedt examine what they describe as anti-media populism and the idea of established news media as an enemy of the nation. Based on several years of research, they have studied the online environments where this criticism is expressed and circulated and interviewed around a hundred people active in these contexts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But their interest in media criticism began more than a decade ago, when the landscape looked quite different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen we first became interested in media criticism, we thought that media criticism in Sweden was far too internal \u2013 it was journalists criticising journalists. Since then, things have changed. Media criticism has become more common, while at the same time changing character\u201d, Jakobsson explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their research on media trust eventually led them to people with a deeply critical view of established news media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe were also quite fascinated by the fact that the narrative of the media as an \u2018enemy\u2019 that has \u2018destroyed the country\u2019 could have such a strong position in certain groups\u201d, Stiernstedt says. \u201cWhat is it that makes this narrative so appealing to some people? That sparked our curiosity\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Disappointed Media Romantics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Many of the people Jakobsson and Stiernstedt interviewed are men, many stand on the political right, and many have some form of higher education. Many are also active on social media, where they discuss and criticise established news media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But their relationship with journalism turned out to be more complicated than their strong criticism might suggest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTheir view of the media is often critical and distancing, but it is also more nuanced than one might think\u201d, Stiernstedt says. \u201cIt became clear that these people are extensive media users: They read newspapers, listen to podcasts and radio, watch television, follow influencers on YouTube, read international media, and use social media. Some also use so-called alternative media\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite their criticism, many of the interviewees also have high expectations of journalism and the role it should play in society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMany of them have quite high regard for the ideals of journalism \u2013 what it should do \u2013 and for the effects it can have on users and society more broadly\u201d, Stiernstedt continues. \u201cAgainst this background, we discuss in the book whether these \u2018media cynics\u2019 might actually be seen as a kind of \u2018media romantics\u2019 \u2013 but disappointed romantics\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another surprise was how much people with high and low levels of media trust had in common when describing journalism\u2019s role in society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBoth people with high and low trust in Swedish news media describe the role of journalism in society \u2013 and the importance of journalism \u2013 in roughly the same way\u201d, Stiernstedt notes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Understanding the Criticism<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are many explanations for why narratives about untrustworthy media have become strong. One factor the authors point to is the rhetoric surrounding journalism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cClaims that established news media are traitors and enemies of the nation are spread both by senior politicians and by Swedish alternative media\u201d, Jakobsson says. \u201cThat kind of political rhetoric has an impact on how people perceive news media\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Jakobsson and Stiernstedt, understanding where the criticism comes from is therefore also a practical question for journalism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe think it is important to understand the criticism of news media in order to be able to respond to it\u201d, Jakobsson explains. \u201cAs a journalist, you hopefully believe that journalism generally works quite well. But the question is how you explain this to people who are deeply critical of the news media\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJournalists should be able to defend journalism to its harshest critics\u201d, Jakobsson concludes. \u201cPerhaps our book can offer a little help along the way\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The book is published by Bokf\u00f6rlaget Daidalos and is available to order online (in Swedish)
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