<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Although countries protect and promote freedom of expression in different ways, free speech can be understood to have two basic aspects in democratic constitutional systems: non-censorship and diversity of voices. This article examines how the approach to free speech in Sweden contains both these aspects. Selected comparisons with the US First Amendment, and German broadcasting law, indicate the value in the Swedish approach but also reveal challenges that it faces if free speech’s dual aspects are not clearly recognised – a danger that some contemporary statements suggests is real. Articulating free speech in terms of both non-censorship and diversity may aid Swedish parliamentary processes to uphold important structural aspects of the freedom, but it would also bring into focus larger questions about the limits of parliamentary processes <italic>alone</italic> in building a viable system of freedom of expression for the future.</p></abstract>

Although countries protect and promote freedom of expression in different ways, free speech can be understood to have two basic aspects in democratic constitutional systems: non-censorship and diversity of voices. This article examines how the approach to free speech in Sweden contains both these aspects. Selected comparisons with the US First Amendment, and German broadcasting law, indicate the value in the Swedish approach but also reveal challenges that it faces if free speech’s dual aspects are not clearly recognised – a danger that some contemporary statements suggests is real. Articulating free speech in terms of both non-censorship and diversity may aid Swedish parliamentary processes to uphold important structural aspects of the freedom, but it would also bring into focus larger questions about the limits of parliamentary processes alone in building a viable system of freedom of expression for the future.

Building and Sustaining Freedom of Expression

Professor and Joint Director of the Centre for Media and Communications Law

Department of Journalism, Media and Communication

Nordicom Review

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

{"subtitle":"Considering Sweden","article-title":"Building and Sustaining Freedom of Expression"}

Although countries protect and promote freedom of expression in different ways, free speech can be understood to have two basic aspects in democratic...

Building and Sustaining Freedom of Expression

Published Online: Jun 15, 2017

Page range: 31 - 45

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/nor-2016-0043

Keywords
approaches to free speech, non-censorship, diversity of voices, democratic rationale for free speech, journalism

© 2017 Andrew T. Kenyon et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Figure 1

Building and Sustaining Freedom of Expression

Published Online: Jun 15, 2017

Page range: 31 - 45

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/nor-2016-0043

Keywordsapproaches to free speech, non-censorship, diversity of voices, democratic rationale for free speech, journalism

© 2017 Andrew T. Kenyon et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Figure 1

Keywords
approaches to free speech, non-censorship, diversity of voices, democratic rationale for free speech, journalism