Book ad controversy explodes in media

'Debatt publishing' for sure, the book and the ad criticizes Swedish immigration policies based on official statistics. 

  • This ad in Dagens Nyheter has caused an enormous amount of criticism. The ad is for a book called ”Invandring och mörkläggning” by professor Karl-Olov Arnstberg and journalist Gunnar Sandelin. The title of the ad is ”Vad vet DU om invandringen och invandringspolitiken?” (What do YOU know about immigration and the immigration politics?), and then makes eight statements, including: ”Sverige har från millenieskiftet fram till oktober 2013 beviljat drygt 1.1 miljoner invandrare uppehållstillstånd.” (Sweden has since the recent turn of the century up until October granted 1.1 million immigrants recidence permits). ”Av dem som nu beviljas asyl beräknas 70% vara arbetslösa ännu efter två år” (70% of those who are now granted asylum are estimated to be still unemployed in two years). ”64% av Sveriges befolkning anser att media inte berättar sanningen om samhällsproblem förknippade med invandringen.” (64% of the Swedish population doesn’t believe that media tells the truth about the problems in society that are connected with immigration).
  • A recent ad criticizes Swedish immigration policies, creates a storm
    Beauty as well as the opposite is in the eye of the beholder and that goes for statistics as well, which in and of themselves don't lie. An ad in daily Dagens Nyheter for a book, which according to the publishers ”without blinders discusses Sweden’s problematic immigration policy”, has caused a critical storm in Swedish social media. The title of the ad is ”Vad vet DU om invandringen och invandringspolitiken?” (What do YOU know about the immigration and the immigration politics?), followed by eight statements, including:

  • ”Sverige har från millenieskiftet fram till oktober 2013 beviljat drygt 1.1 miljoner invandrare uppehållstillstånd.” (Sweden has since the recent turn of the century up until October, 2013 granted 1.1 million immigrants recidence permits).

  • ”Av dem som nu beviljas asyl beräknas 70% vara arbetslösa ännu efter två år” (70% of those who are now granted asylum are estimated to be still unemployed in two years).

  • ”64% av Sveriges befolkning anser att media inte berättar sanningen om samhällsproblem förknippade med invandringen.” (64% of the Swedish population don’t believe media tells the truth about the problems in society that are connected with the immigration).

  • The reactions to the ad have been strong and many people express doubts regarding Dagens Nyheter. Journalist Helle Klein describes it as a ”racist ad” and encourages the paper to apologize. Another journalist, Alexandra Pascalidou calls it an ad ”serving the racist propaganda”. Editor in chief for Dagens Nyheter, Peter Wolodarski, defends the publishing of the ad saying that DN has ”a generous ad policy” and that the ad in question according to him was ”within the frames of what we accept”.
    He also says that he understands the reactions to the ad and its message. According to Wolodarski the paper wouldn’t just publish a ”message that is hateful/hostile/racist” and points to DN’s decision last year to say no to an ad from the Sweden Democrats.