Excerpts from 

“The Role of Media in a Democratic Society” 

(but please read the whole speech- by clicking on the link at the bottom of 
the page

“International development cooperation is a key element of Swedish foreign 
policy. This is a logical consequence of the Government's emphasis in foreign 
policy on the importance of promoting democracy, human rights and 
sustainable development.”

“am currently working to ensure that Swedish development cooperation 
becomes more clearly focused on creating preconditions for democratisation, 
peace and reconciliation. Intimately linked to this is emphasis on good 
governance and, for example, efforts to strengthen civil society in our partner 
countries. Another focus area is the environment and climate change.
Overall, Swedish development cooperation stresses coherence. In what we 
refer to as the Policy for Global Development, we underline that poverty 
reduction should not only be a concern to me and to my colleagues in the 
Ministry for Foreign Affairs who work with international development 
cooperation. Our Policy for Global Development includes all policy areas. In 
practice this means that my Government is committed to designing our trade, 
agricultural, environmental, migration and security policies so that they all 
contribute to an equitable and sustainable global development. Traditional 
development cooperation on its own can never counteract the effects of trade 
barriers or penalty duties on agricultural produce.”

“The principles of democracy, the rule of law, good governance and respect 
for human rights and fundamental freedoms are interlinked with one another 
but are also closely related to poverty. Poverty is not only about lack of 
material resources. It is also about lack of power, opportunities, choice and 
security.

Democracy and poverty reduction can never be guaranteed by politicians 
alone, whether they are elected or self-nominated. In the end, it is a question 
of people's opportunities to influence their situation, claim their rights and 
being able to voice their concerns. But to exercise these rights presupposes 
that citizens have access to information that has not been filtered, censored 
or distorted. How can I claim my rights if I don't know what they are? How can 
I voice my concerns if I risk being prosecuted for doing so?

These are a few examples of why the role of media is crucial to the 
development of a country. The quality of the information an individual is able 
to access will, by necessity, greatly influence his or her ability to participate in 
the political process. In other words, journalists have a responsibility towards 
their fellow citizens to provide correct and analytical information.
Lively and independent media are essential components of the complex system 
of checks and balances that characterises democratic societies. No one, and 
in particular politicians and civil servants, should be above the law and exempt 
of scrutiny. Corruption is both a cause and an effect of weak governance. 
Corruption breeds inefficiency and undermines confidence in the institutions of 
a society. An Englishman, Lord Acton, once made the now famous statement 
that "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely". This still holds 
true. The quality of decisions will inevitably suffer if a free debate is not 
allowed.

It upsets us when we read about politicians who are forced to resign because 
of corruption. But at the same time we should also be grateful that such 
information is published and reaches the public. In 1974 the so-called 
Watergate scandal eventually forced American president Richard Nixon to 
resign. This, as you know, was mainly the result of efforts by two journalists 
at the Washington Post. What if they had lived in a country where they had 
not been allowed to pursue that story? What if, during their investigative 
work, they had been told by their editor-in-chief that they should stop their 
work immediately because the president is above criticism?

But the role of media in a modern society is not only limited to reporting and 
analysing specific events. Journalists are also opinion builders in their own 
right. By tracing and critically analysing new trends and tendencies in society, 
a free media provides decision makers with invaluable information, thereby 
ensuring, such matters as the quality of legislation. And when it comes to an 
issue such as the spread of HIV/AIDS, the ability of the press to disseminate 
information freely and to discuss the topic without having to consider what 
politicians think is or is not suitable can, in the end, be a matter of saving lives.
We also have to see the role of media in the context of the common 
challenges we face in an increasingly globalised world. Global challenges 
emphasise the need to find common solutions. An issue such as the 
consequences of global warming is one example; the spread of international 
crime and terrorism is another. To meet these challenges, access to correct 
information is crucial, for the general public as well as for decision makers.
Promoting free media in other countries is therefore also in our own self -
interest. If journalists in other countries are silenced we will ultimately pay a 
price ourselves. Let me give you an example. We are all aware of the immense 
challenge that humankind faces in the form of ongoing climate change. Let's 
say that information about an environmental disaster in a country far away is 
not allowed to reach the public. Eventually, it might very well be that people in 
other parts of the world suffer the consequences of information being 
withheld. Pollution knows no borders. The problem in certain parts of 
Southeast Asia of the so-called "haze" is a sad illustration of this fact.
Given what I have just said it will come as no surprise to you that Sweden is 
committed to the development of the media sector in Vietnam. Over the past 
ten years, Sweden has been the biggest donor in support of efforts to 
promote democracy in your country through the development of more 
professional, open, independent and self-reliant media.

Sweden supports interventions in the area of the media that seek to empower 
people living in poverty. Fundamental points of departure are the right to 
freedom of expression and freedom of speech, the right to exercise cultural 
and creative activities, the right to access to information, the right to 
participation and the right to knowledge. Sweden and Vietnam have ratified 
international human rights conventions and we both have an obligation to live 
up to the commitments made as signatories.

Freedom of expression includes the right to seek, receive, express and 
disseminate opinions, ideas and information without interference, and to do so 
either orally or in writing through any media. Freedom of expression is a 
precondition for media pluralism, which in turn is the foundation for strong and 
functioning media. This facilitates a broad spectrum of information, ideas and 
opinions in society.

Access to information and the free exchange of opinions are crucial in enabling 
citizens to take a stance, reach well-founded decisions and make free choices. 
In my country, the tradition goes back almost two and a half centuries - the 
Freedom of the Press Act was adopted in the year 1766.

One fundamental cornerstone in Sweden is the principle of public access to 
official documents. As you can understand this principle is very important for 
journalists in their reporting and investigative work, especially when they are 
scrutinising the exercise of power by the Government and other public 
agencies, but it is also a cornerstone of an open society and an effective tool 
for monitoring and preventing corruption. In fact, anyone in Sweden, whether 
they are a Swede or a foreigner, a journalist or a non-journalist, has the right 
to access documents produced or received by a government agency or body. 
Even my own incoming and outgoing email at the Ministry is basically in the 
public domain! Linked to the fundamental law I just mentioned are codes of 
ethics that the free media have developed and agreed upon by themselves, 
without interference from the State. There are also public entities to which 
citizens can turn when they feel offended or abused by media”

http://www.sweden.gov.se/sb/d/3211/a/80971

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