A newsletter from Nordicom at the University of Gothenburg. Editor: Tobias Lindberg, researcher at Nordicom |
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Denmark introduces stricter rules for young people and social media. In addition, a new proposal for media subsidies has been presented. In Norway, the Norwegian Media Authority is finalising its report on direct subsidies – the report will be published on 19 November. In Iceland, the temporary media subsidy scheme has been extended through 2025. In Sweden, new legislation targeting illegal IPTV is being proposed. Finally, Finland has circulated for comment a draft spectrum decree and a draft call for applications for network licences for terrestrial television. These are some of the topics covered in this quarter’s Nordic Media Policy.
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Iceland extends temporary media subsidy Iceland’s parliament has enacted legislation extending financial subsidies for private media outlets for an additional year, writes Iceland Review. The law secures the continuation of a support scheme that had been scheduled to expire at the end of the previous year. The earlier media subsidy framework was temporary and ceased to apply with the onset of the new year. Iceland Review expects, referring to the government’s parliamentary timetable, a more permanent system of media subsidy to be introduced in January. Proposal for a new media subsidy scheme in Denmark A single, simplified basic support model for journalistic news media – that is the core idea behind a new proposal for a modern Danish media support system, which an expert committee presented recently. Under the proposed model, the special schemes through which several media outlets have so far received funding would be abolished. Instead, a single, unified basic support model would be introduced, offering equal conditions for all journalistic media. The model would be platform-neutral, meaning that support would be granted based on journalistic function rather than format – whether television, radio, or text-based. Journalisten (DK) has gathered reactions from the industry, ranging from praise to concern and warnings. | Åland media habits under the microscope Nearly eight out of ten Ålanders used social media every day or almost every day during the spring of 2025, according to a new report from Statistics and Research Åland. Just over half of the population watched TV or films, and around two in five listened to radio or podcasts – also on a daily or near-daily basis. Overall, the study shows that cultural and leisure habits in Åland have remained largely stable over the past decade, except for the Covid-19 pandemic period. Norway’s tax administration considers VAT on VG Plus The Norwegian Tax Administration has issued a notice of a possible tax claim against Vend Marketplaces – the company that remained after the media division of the former Schibsted was acquired by the Tinius Trust, Journalisten (NO) reports. The claim concerns value-added tax (VAT) on VG Plus for the period 2020–2024. Schibsted argues that the Tax Administration’s preliminary assessment undermines predictability for editor-controlled media and runs counter to the intent of the current zero-VAT scheme. | New public service law adopted in Sweden As expected, Sweden’s parliament has approved the government’s proposal for a new public service law. The accompanying proposal on funding and conditions for public service broadcasting for 2026–2033 was also endorsed, TT/Omni reports. Under the new framework, the three Swedish public service broadcasters (SVT, SR, and UR) will receive a 3% funding increase in 2026, followed by annual increases of 2% from 2027 to 2030 and 1% from 2031 to 2033. This new law and amendments to the Radio and Television Act will take effect on 2 December 2025, while other legislative changes will apply from 1 January 2026. | |
Nordic media policy bulletins | New reports and statistics regarding the Nordics |
Statistics Finland: One-half of persons aged 16 to 89 had seen hate speech on the Internet in 2025 Nordicom: New book highlights state of knowledge on information ecosystems and democracy Nordicom Review: New article on right-wing alternative media users in Scandinavia Norwegian Media Authority: New report on Norwegian media economy 2023–2025 Helsinki Advanced Interaction Studies Institute: Events, training, and books seen as key growth areas for news media Swedish Agency for the Media: Recent report on the economy, content, and ownership of news media 2024/25 Swedish Agency for the Media: Current report on the economy, content, and ownership of radio and podcasts 2024/25 University of Southern Denmark: Children and misinformation on social media – experiences and perspectives of 5–12-year-olds Danish Power Report 2.0: A study of news, news usage and power European Commission: The Nordics mentioned in EU’s 2025 European Media Industry Outlook report European Commission: Denmark, Finland, and Sweden mentioned in EU’s study on audiences, consumer behaviour and preferences relating to the consumption of media content 2025 | Don't forget our EU newsletterDid you know that Nordicom has another newsletter about the media policy sector in the EU? It is called European Media Policy. |
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About the newsletter
The newsletter Nordic Media Policy reports on media policy developments in the Nordic countries and at the Nordic level. It presents new legislative proposals, parliamentary debates, and new media policy decisions and initiatives. The newsletter also draws attention to new reports and studies in the media field from the Nordic countries. Nordic Media Policy is published with support from the Nordic Council of Ministers.
Editor
Tobias Lindberg, researcher at Nordicom
tobias.lindberg@nordicom.gu.se Publisher
Nordicom University of Gothenburg
PO Box 713
SE-405 30
Gothenburg
Sweden
www.nordicom.gu.se
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