”Nya tider har gett nya regler” : En kritisk diskursanalys av synen på teknikutveckling i Yttrandefrihetskommitténs delbetänkande SOU 2010:68

Sammanfattning: The aim of this thesis is to contribute to the field ofinformation politics, in the areas of the future regulationof The Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression andThe Freedom of the Press Act. The focus of the study is todiscursively examine how ideas and perspectives ontechnological developments are expressed in a pendingSwedish legislative proposal. The empirical data consistsof an interim government report, SOU 2010:68, writtenby Yttrandefrihetskommittén (Committee on Freedom ofExpression) and analysed using Norman Fairclough'sCritical Discourse Analysis. The analysis is conducted onthree levels: a textual level, a discursive practice level anda social practice level.On the textual level we found that the committeecontinously uses significantly charged expressions todescribe technological development. On the discursivepractice level two discourses were identified. Adeterministic discourse is prevalent in passages wheretechnological issues are described, and an intrumentalisticdiscourse dominates passages where the politicalregulation for dealing with technological developmentproblems is described. On the social practice level wefound that a discussion with a focus on the idea oftechnological neutrality is used as a means of meeting thepolitical incitements which gave rise to the report itself.The results show that the idea of neutralizing thepublication technologies connected with the rights offreedom of expression in Swedish legislation is proposedis two ways. Firstly, by describing problems connectedwith technological development in deterministic terms,and secondly, by suggesting political measures for dealingwith the problems in instrumentalistic terms.