Neither Fish Nor Fowl Educational Broadcasting in Sweden 1930-2000

Educational media has been a contested arena in the creation and communication of the Swedish welfare system - it was an important instrument of modernization. In Neither Fish nor Fowl historians Bengt Sandin and Maija Runcis have a close look on how the educational broadcasting was negotiated between government agencies, public inquiries, political and professional interests. The state authorities, civil society organizations, educators and journalists had strong opinions about the role of educational broadcast media that reflected a desire to form the future. Educational programmes were also part of a public service system which increasingly emphasized its independence from state control. But was broadcast education to be a part of public service, a government agency or something else - a red herring? This study provides insights into the struggle over the role of educational media and the political communication in the welfare state.