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How the government’s announcement affects SR – and a week of drama from Srebrenica to Srinagar

News ✍️ Erik Lindström 🕒 2026-03-30 18:22 🔥 Views: 1
SR:s logotyp och en bild på en diskussion om framtiden

It’s one of those weeks where you feel you could do with an extra pair of ears. Here at home in Sweden, the entire public broadcasting sector is waiting on a government announcement that could shape the future of SR. Meanwhile, events overseas give you pause – from the gritty alleyways of Srinagar to the memorial services in Srebrenica. And right in the middle of it all, a reminder that there are other ways of looking at life.

A price tag no one wants to talk about

You shouldn’t underestimate the feeling of sitting around waiting for a bill you never asked for. Right now, that’s exactly what’s happening in the corridors of Sveriges Radio. The question of funding for its broadcasts – that enormous price tag hanging in the air – awaits a decision from the government. No one wants to predict the outcome, but everyone knows this is one of the weightiest matters for the Minister for Culture to handle. Because it’s not just about figures in a budget; it’s about the very backbone of our daily media landscape. I’ve sat through enough meetings over the years to know that when politicians drag their feet, it’s because something’s about to creak at the seams.

While we wait for the Swedish decision, the world keeps turning. A few days ago, Iceland unveiled its first defence strategy – a document that’s about security policy on paper, but in practice sends a signal to the rest of us in the Nordics. And down in Eastern Europe, Swedish-donated vessels are heading towards Ukraine, but aren’t making the progress planned. It’s a reminder that even the best intentions can get bogged down in the swamps of bureaucracy and logistics. Much like this decision about SR, actually. Everything’s connected.

From Kashmir to Bosnia: Images that stick with you

I can’t help but think how different places around the world reflect the same thing: that history is never really history. Take Srinagar in Kashmir. There, it’s not just politics shaping what tomorrow looks like, but also the falling snow and the quiet protests in the alleyways. I’ve followed developments there for years, and just when you think things have calmed down, it flares up again. It’s a place where life goes on amid it all – shopkeepers setting up their saffron stalls and kids playing cricket in narrow streets. But underneath, the question of who’s really in charge is always there.

And then there’s Srebrenica. A few weeks ago, people gathered to remember what happened there almost three decades ago. It’s a weight that’s hard to put into words. Every year it’s the same ritual, and yet it feels like time makes the pain more complex, not less. Standing there listening to the names being read out is a reminder that in Europe, we still carry wounds that will never fully heal. It’s a kind of gravity that almost takes your breath away – especially when you hear at the same time that new tensions are brewing in the region.

  • Srinagar – where political deadlock meets the stubbornness of everyday life.
  • Srebrenica – a memory that refuses to fade, and is now becoming increasingly important for the next generation.
  • Srikakulam – a place along India’s east coast where nature recently showed its full force and reminded us of our vulnerability.

A basketball star and an ancient philosophy

Sometimes names pop up that make you stop and take notice. Jayson Tatum, for example. For those of you who don’t follow basketball, he’s one of those players who makes even people who aren’t into sports raise an eyebrow. Right now, all of America is talking about his performances in the playoffs, and sure, it’s entertainment. But it’s also a story about being in the spotlight when everyone expects you to fail – and still delivering. I like those kinds of stories, because they remind me that character is forged under pressure, whether it’s on a basketball court or in a newsroom waiting on a government decision.

And then to something completely different: Sramanism. It’s one of those topics that makes you realise how much we in the West have forgotten. The ancient Indian tradition often confused with Buddhism and Jainism, but with its own sharp philosophy of asceticism and letting go of material things. When I read that more and more young people in India, not least in cities like Srikakulam, are starting to rediscover this worldview, it suddenly feels very contemporary. In the midst of an era of war threats and political budget negotiations, maybe it’s precisely that ability to step aside that is the greatest strength.

Because what exactly are we waiting for back home? A decision on funding for SR that will ensure the radio continues to reach every village, from Kiruna to Ystad. While at the same time people in Srinagar keep watch over their homes and Srebrenica builds new memorials. And in the middle of all this, a philosopher from thousands of years ago who said that perhaps it’s precisely in not owning things that you find freedom. I don’t know if I fully buy that – I like my radio and my morning paper too much. But it does make you stop and think a bit, and that’s never a bad thing.