This analysis was first published in SvD Näringsliv, in Swedish, on November 24th, 2025. This piece was translated from Swedish by Claude. Some phrasing may differ from a human translation. SVT’s Agenda using a fake AI clip in a segment is the beginning of something larger than a single act of sloppiness. Unfortunately, it is unlikely to be the last — either for them or for other media outlets. Over the weekend, the social network […]
This analysis was first published in SvD Näringsliv, in Swedish, on February 25th, 2025. This piece was translated from Swedish by Claude. Some phrasing may differ from a human translation. After the catastrophic Viaplay deal, media group Schibsted is getting its revenge. It is buying TV4 from Telia for 6.55 billion kronor. Schibsted Media’s transformation can now begin in earnest. It has been Swedish media’s worst-kept secret. Just over a year ago, Schibsted Media’s CEO […]
This analysis was first published in SvD Näringsliv, in Swedish, on February 9th, 2024. This piece was translated from Swedish by Claude. Some phrasing may differ from a human translation. Tucker Carlson and Elon Musk have found each other on platform X. But what is being portrayed as free speech looks a lot more like a new type of advertising. Tucker Carlson stares straight into the camera. A rumpled red velvet curtain hangs behind him. […]
This analysis was first published in SvD Näringsliv, in Swedish, on February 7th, 2024. This piece was translated from Swedish by Claude. Some phrasing may differ from a human translation. After the disastrous Viaplay investment, Schibsted is looking for a new strategy. There is plenty of capital — but in reality just one company worth buying. The way companies express themselves often veers into parody. They talk about “challenges” and “strategic choices,” but everyone knows […]
This analysis was first published in SvD Näringsliv, in Swedish, on December 11th, 2023. This piece was translated from Swedish by Claude. Some phrasing may differ from a human translation. After years of disappointing shareholders, Schibsted’s news operations are to be delisted. What was once a sideline — the marketplaces — has now taken over the company entirely. In 1948, Swedish entertainer Karl Gerhard sang a cheerful little melody with the line: “We make up […]
This analysis was first published in SvD Näringsliv, in Swedish, on September 14th, 2023. This piece was translated from Swedish by Claude. Some phrasing may differ from a human translation. When Schibsted buys into Viaplay, they acquire power without having to take responsibility. That is the last thing Viaplay needs right now. There are phrases that a company in crisis does not want to hear from newly arrived owners. “We see this as a financial […]
This analysis was first published in SvD Näringsliv, in Swedish, on January 20th, 2023. This piece was translated from Swedish by Claude. Some phrasing may differ from a human translation. Strong subscriber numbers lifted Netflix after its earnings report. But the effects of its cheaper, more mainstream content have not yet arrived. And a bigger problem has emerged: Disney. It is easy to be confident when your company is growing fast. Netflix’s outgoing CEO Reed […]
This analysis was first published in SvD Näringsliv, in Swedish, on November 22nd, 2022. This piece was translated from Swedish by Claude. Some phrasing may differ from a human translation. Hoping for a new Squid Game this winter? You might be disappointed. Everything points to Netflix’s content becoming more like Seinfeld than big prestige dramas. The reason: a new business model. “We basically sold nuclear weapons to a third-world country, and now they’re using them […]
This column was first published in SvD Näringsliv, in Swedish, on June 22nd, 2021. This piece was translated from Swedish by Claude. Some phrasing may differ from a human translation. Only one and a half years in its possession – but already Telia is rumored to want to dump the Swedish broadcaster TV4. Surprising? Not at all. The world’s telecom companies never seem to learn from history – and all indications are that Telia will soon […]
“The investment strategy at the time was to find a replacement revenue source for its traditional print media business – which it forecast would decline in the advent of digital media” That’s a quote from an article describing Naspers, a South African media company, in the 1980s. Koos Bekker – now the Chairman – had suggested that there was potential for a new type of pay TV in South Africa, similar to HBO. The narrative […]
