A verdict today from The Swedish Broadcasting Commission (Granskningsnämnden för radio och TV) declared that public service radio and tv shows that encouraged listeners to join or discuss a topic in a Facebook group, were in breach of the Swedish Radio and Television Act.
The Commission slammed the radio shows “Ring så spelar vi” in channel P4 and “Förmiddag” in the local channel P4 Kristianstad for encouraging listeners to join their respective Facebook groups. And the tv news show Sydnytt on SVT1 encouraged viewers to state their opinion on a certain topic on a Facebook page. That was also interpreted as being in breach of the Radio and Television Act because it was improper favoritism of a commercial enterprise.
One can question whether the law is really in tune with the current trends in the media landscape.
Update: According to the Commission, it is accepted to inform the public of the existence of a Facebook page or group, but encouraging listeners or viewers to join them is considered one step too far.
Media Culpa is a blog about media and public relations – with a focus on social media – written by Swedish PR practitioner Hans Kullin. The views in this blog are my own.
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