A1 Journal article (refereed)
Press Subsidies and Business Performance of Newspaper Publishing in Three Nordic Media Welfare States (2024)
Grönlund, M., Villi, M., & Ala-Fossi, M. (2024). Press Subsidies and Business Performance of Newspaper Publishing in Three Nordic Media Welfare States. Media and Communication, 12, Article 7570. https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.7570
JYU authors or editors
Publication details
All authors or editors: Grönlund, Mikko; Villi, Mikko; Ala-Fossi, Marko
Journal or series: Media and Communication
eISSN: 2183-2439
Publication year: 2024
Publication date: 06/02/2024
Volume: 12
Article number: 7570
Publisher: Cogitatio Press
Publication country: Portugal
Publication language: English
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.7570
Publication open access: Openly available
Publication channel open access: Open Access channel
Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/93438
Abstract
public money used on press subsidies over the decades in the Nordic countries, there is not much academic
research on the financial performance of the newspaper publishing industry in these countries. This study
examines the “media welfare state” approach to public support for newspapers and the financial performance
of newspaper companies in three Nordic countries: Finland, Sweden, and Norway. Our data consists of the
key financial figures of newspaper publishing companies in the aforementioned countries from 2005 to 2019.
Based on our analysis, we argue that direct press subsidies in Sweden and Norway have not been able to
prevent a decrease in the number of titles and, importantly, have resulted in a number of subsidy‐dependent
news outlets unable to survive on their own income. By contrast, the Finnish newspaper publishing industry
has been in a better financial situation in terms of almost all indicators and throughout the review period,
despite Finland abandoning direct press subsidies in the 1990s.
Keywords: newspapers; press (mass media); publishing; welfare state
Contributing organizations
Ministry reporting: Yes
VIRTA submission year: 2024
Preliminary JUFO rating: 1
