I can't imagine the British government, or the British newspaper industry, following the model for dealing with failing newspapers in Sweden where state subsidies are handed out to papers that lose sales.
Sweden's largest morning paper, Dagens Nyheter (DN), has just applied for state-sponsored press subsidies because its circulation has fallen. Under Swedish law, support can be offered if a newspaper's household penetration drops below 30%.
According to DN's publisher, the paper now meets the requirements for operational press support and so it has asked for a hand-out. Yet the paper has previously argued that the system is outdated and distorts competition.
So why is it proffering the begging bowl? Editor-in-chief Thorbjörn Larsson explains: "We believe that the supports should be fundamentally reformed, but as long as they exist, we'll follow the prevailing rules."
A case of practice prevailing over principle. Then again, its primary rival, Svenska Dagbladet, has received 65.4m kronor (£5.6m) from the state this year. (Source: The Local)
