Modern kommunikationsteknik för att stärka demokratin: Exemplen Lokal-TV och IT [Modern Communications Technology for the Strengthening of Democracy: the Examples of Local TV and IT]

Abstract

There is a growing interest for political issues in today's society, but media fails in giving correct information and facilitating a debate between different groups in the society. We lack an arena for discussing political issues of common interest. The legal opportunity for everybody to produce and broadcast television programmes through the cable network since 198 is mentioned in the Swedish Government Official Reports. The long political debates in the Local Parliaments and Governmental Parliament could be broadcast without any comments by journalists. But at the end of the 1990's, the Internet seems to have replaced Local Cable Television in fulfilling these tasks. Interactivity has been introduced - a quick and easy forum for dialogue between the public and the politicians. It is argues in the article that since more people have access to a television than to the Internet, and people are more familiar with television and the coming digital television, the Government should analyse the media political consequences of not paying more attention to Local Cable Television.