UNESCO is the lead UN Agency for promoting freedom of expression and safety of journalists as part of its mandate to “promote the free flow of ideas by word and image”.
Understanding Journalist Safety in Sweden
Sweden is among the ten safest countries for journalists in this ranking. The world's first country to enshrine press freedom in its constitution ranks 10th in all dimensions except the physical dimension (12th).
The journalistic labor market in Sweden has shrunk in recent years. However, according to our statistics, those who have entered this market lead acceptable to comfortable professional lives: Most work full-time and have a reasonable average working time, although there is a proportion of hard workers among them.
Although no murders of journalists have been reported in Sweden, this does not mean that Swedish journalists have no concerns about their physical well-being. In the Worlds of Journalism Study, journalists have reported cases of arrests, physical assaults, and sexual harassment.
Hate speech against and public defamation of journalistic work is quite common. Threats and intimidation are experienced at least occasionally by one in ten journalists. Some journalists have also reported stalking. And even though legal prosecution is rare, slightly more than one in five have experienced surveillance, and slightly less than one in five have been hacked or had their social media profiles or websites blocked.
However, overall, political and public support for the public role of journalists is high in Sweden. This is why the dynamics described here are monitored and publicly addressed by various institutions (such as the University of Gothenburg or the Swedish Union of Journalists). The extremely low gender differences across the four dimensions also show that the labor market and journalists’ safety are, at least, fairly equal in Sweden.
Safety Dimensions
This radar chart displays how the country performs across all four safety dimensions, revealing areas of strength and concern.
Gender Safety Gap
This comparison highlights differences in safety experiences between male and female journalists, revealing potential gender-based disparities.
Physical Safety
The physical dimension carries 50% weight in the safety index. Read the methodology in full.
Journalist Killings (35% weight in physical dimension)
This figure represents the total number of journalist killings in Sweden between 2016 and 2024.
Data sourced from UNESCO Observatory of Killed Journalists.
Note: This indicator carries 35% of the weight within the physical dimension of the Safety Index, making it the most significant factor in this category.
Responses to: "I am concerned about my physical wellbeing" (20% weight in physical dimension)
Responses to: "In the last five years, how often have you experienced any of the following actions related to your work as a journalist?"
Arrests, detentions or imprisonment (15% weight in physical dimension)
Sexual assault or sexual harassment (15% weight in physical dimension)
Other physical attacks (15% weight in physical dimension)
Abductions (did not contribute to calculation)
Office raids or seizures or damage of equipment (did not contribute to calculation)
Being required to work in an environment where COVID-19 had easily spread (did not contribute to calculation)
Psychological Safety
The psychological dimension carries 25% weight in the safety index. Read the methodology in full.
Responses to: "I am concerned about my emotional wellbeing" (20% weight in psychological dimension)
Responses to: "In the last five years, how often have you experienced any of the following actions related to your work as a journalist?"
Demeaning or hateful speech directed at you (16% weight in psychological dimension)
Public discrediting of your work (16% weight in psychological dimension)
Legal actions against you because of your work (16% weight in psychological dimension)
Stalking (16% weight in psychological dimension)
Other threats or intimidation directed at you (16% weight in psychological dimension)
Coercion (did not contribute to calculation)
Questioning of your personal morality (did not contribute to calculation)
Workplace bullying (did not contribute to calculation)
Intimidation that targets your family or close associates (did not contribute to calculation)
Digital Safety
The digital dimension carries 12.5% weight in the safety index. Read the methodology in full.
Responses to: "In the last five years, how often have you experienced any of the following actions related to your work as a journalist?"
Surveillance (50% weight in digital dimension)
Hacking or blocking of social media accounts or websites (50% weight in digital dimension)
Others using your byline for fabricated or manipulated stories (did not contribute to calculation)
Others disseminating your personal information (did not contribute to calculation)
Financial Safety
The financial dimension carries 12.5% weight in the safety index. Read the methodology in full.
Responses to: "I am worried about losing my job in journalism within the next 12 months" (20% weight in financial dimension)
Responses to: "Which of the following categories best describes your current working situation as a journalist?" (20% weight in financial dimension)
Responses to "Approximately what percentage of your overall work-related income comes from your work as a journalist?" (20% weight in financial dimension)
Responses to: "How many hours a week on average do you work as a journalist?" (20% weight in financial dimension)
Responses to: "In which of the following categories does your salary as a journalist fall?" (20% weight in financial dimension)
Demographics
This section contains demographic information about survey respondents from Sweden.
Coming soon
Demographic information about survey respondents will be available in a future update.