APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R000200090021-3
The Center Party and the Communist Party are both represented throughout the country by a very small press. Skanska Dagbladet, which is published in Malmo, is the Center Party's major newspaper. Its 1970 circulation of 35,000 is confined mostly to the rural areas of central and southern Sweden. The influence of the Communist press, except among the party faithful, is negligible. Ny Dag, the official biweekly (before 1965 it was a daily) had a 1970 circulation of 15,000. The one daily newspaper, Norrskensflammen, is published in Lulea and had a circulation of 3,000 in 1969. The Communist press has not been a paying proposition, and its circulation has steadily declined, from 1.2% of the total newspaper circulation in 1954 to less than 0.1% in 1970.
Perhaps no other civil right is more jealously regarded by the Swedes than freedom of the press. Originally achieved by a law of 1766, which was rescinded after only 6 years, it was reestablished by the basic laws of 1810 and 1812. The most recent press legislation, the Freedom of the Press Act, passed in 1949, reflects public reaction to the brief period of limited press control exercised during World War II as a result of German pressure. This legislation expands upon the constitutional guarantee against government censorship of writings for publication and specifically reconciles freedom of the press with national security. A publisher may not print officially classified information, and he need not reveal news sources except in cases involving treason or defamation of character. He may be subject to prosecution under criminal law for the disclosure of military or other classified secrets, for defamation of character, for printing pornography, and for other violations of press propriety. A new official office, known as the General Public's Press Ombudsman or grievance commissioner, was established in 1969 to prosecute violations of press ethics.
To a very great extent the press polices itself. For example, a code of self-regulation aims at the protection of the individual's right to private, the printing of correct and objective information, responsibility in the use of pictures, and care in the use of names. The Press Fall Practices Commission, a journalists' tribunal, stands watch on matters of taste and propriety.
There are about 2,500 periodical publications in Sweden. The most significant in terms of circulation are the popular variety weekly magazines and other light periodical literature. As of 1969, there were 38 such publications, with a combined circulation of 7.2 million copies. More than 90% of the Swedish population regularly read these periodicals. The largest popular weekly magazines are Aret Runt and Hemmets Veckotidning, with 1969 circulations of 497,500 and 398,000, respectively. Two popular weekly consumer magazines, ICA-Kurien, devoted to problems of home and family, and VI, similarly oriented, but also including serious discussions of social and economic problems, had 1969 circulations of 720,700, and 531,100, respectively. There are no significant political weeklies of the type found in the United States. A very significant part of the periodical press in Sweden consists of professional and trade association journals. They number about 500, and the largest are put out by the trade unions and by organized agricultural interests.
2. Book publishing
Book publishing is an important industry, reflecting both the avid reading habits of Swedes and the still competitive prices of locally produced books. In 1970, 7,709 titles were published, as compared with 6,666 titles in 1965. Of the total in 1970, about three-fourths were first editions, the remainder reprints. There were 6,040 titles by Swedish authors, writing in Swedish (4,934), English (975), German (45), French (18), and other languages. As in confined language communities elsewhere, scholars, researchers, and indeed, creative writers in Sweden often write in a language with broader international accessibility. As may be noted, English—understood by the majority of their educated countrymen—is the most popular such language among Swedish writers. Another 1,669 titles were translations, principally from English (1,113), French (130), German (124), Danish (108), and Norwegian (47). About 83% of the total 7,709 titles were works of 50 pages or more. The most popular subject matter included foreign creative writing translated into Swedish (771 titles), social science and law (707), technology, manufacturing, and communications (698), economics (680), juveniles (637), and Swedish creative writing (620).
A significant long-term growth in demand for books was especially evidenced in three fields: social sciences, physical sciences, and technology. Interest in Swedish creative writing remained at a high level without, however, experiencing the notable increase in popularity enjoyed by Swedish and English translation of foreign literature.
3. Libraries
Sweden has a modern library system that is excellent by any standard. In 1969 there were 1,566 public libraries with a total of 22,907,853 books. Although
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APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R000200090021-3
