Aftonbladet och Expressen – En besvärlig situation?

Purpose: To find out whether the music journalism in the two largest tabloids in Sweden, Aftonbladet and Expressen has been commercialized between the years 2000-2009, and if so, how it has been reflected in the music-related editorial material in these two tabloids. We also want to investigate how the conditions to produce music journalism have been during this period and what kind of role the individual music journalists have had. Thesis: We believe that the commercialization has increased and that it has had a direct effect on the editorial material within the music pages of Aftonbladet and Expressen, and also that the most obvious sign of this progress is that journalism itself has taken a more sensational turn. Method: Qualitative content analysis of 40 articles and interviews with one scholar and several music journalists. Main results: The commercialization in both Aftonbladet and Expressen is noticeable. But it is more obvious in the case of Aftonbladet where the editorial material has a higher level of sensational headlines and angles and a more populist underline than Expressen. There is also an outspoken attitude from the music editors that the harsch economic reality of the tabloid industry needs them to meet and satisfy the public demands.