The critical Swedes and the consensual Finns: Leading newspapers as watchdogs or lapdogs of nuclear waste repository licensing?

Abstract The final disposal of spent nuclear fuel has long stirred up societal debate and controversy in most countries utilizing nuclear energy. Various discourses contextualising the issue affect both the general public and policy-making. Both Finland and Sweden are considered forerunners in implementing final disposal. In this paper we explore similarities and differences in media attention paid to final disposal in Finland and Sweden by focusing on two leading newspapers in each country during the time period of 2008–2015. A longitudinal comparative study suggests that there are clear national differences in the roles assumed by print media in the handling of the final disposal issue. In Finland, the predominant tone of news items regarding the issue was more neutral and pro-technology, favouring politicians and the core actor groups of the nuclear waste regime, i.e. industry and authorities, as "speakers". In Sweden, the tone was clearly more critical, even to some extent anti-technologically oriented, and more multifaceted in terms of speakers. Swedish print media favoured more even-handed reporting, thus giving more publicity to experts', NGOs’, and provincial and local representatives' views.