INSIGHT
From Idea to Commitment: How SR Built a Strategy for Indigenous and Minority Audiences
22 May 2026
Born out of international Indigenous collaboration and through inclusive leadership and staff involvement, Sveriges Radio’s new minority strategy marks a historic step for public service in Sweden. This blog reflects on the journey from idea to reality — and on why a clear, shared strategy matters for Indigenous and minority communities, as well as for the wider public.
By Thomas Sarri, Head of Sámi Radio at Swedish Radio
In the autumn of 2024, I was invited to a conference dedicated to Reaching and Reflecting Indigenous Audiences in the 21st Century ahead of Public Broadcasters International in Ottawa. For the first time, an entire day focused on Indigenous peoples and media. CBC/Radio-Canada hosted the event, and the Indigenous seminar was initiated by Robert Doane, Director of Indigenous Strategy.
For me, that was a turning point.
It was the first time I encountered a public service organisation with a clear, company-wide Indigenous strategy. ABC in Australia had been doing similar work, and in Ottawa a small group of us began connecting more closely. Despite working in very different contexts, we quickly recognised how much we shared.
Read more: New collective launches to support Indigenous representation, storytelling and languages
Our audiences all live with the consequences of colonisation: weakened languages, shrinking territories, marginalisation and vulnerability in majority societies. At the same time, we saw something hopeful — a growing confidence among younger generations. That combination of responsibility and possibility stayed with me.
We met again in Paris later that year, when UNESCO gathered input for its global report on Indigenous peoples and media. With support from Public Media Alliance, those conversations deepened and led to the formation of Indigenous Partnerships in Public Media (IPPM). For me, these exchanges made one thing clear: if public service takes Indigenous and minority responsibilities seriously, goodwill is not enough. A clear, shared direction is needed.
Back in Sweden, I brought these insights with me. Based on this and my experience within Sveriges Radio, I raised the need for a coherent, company-wide strategy. At the same time, commissioner Ulf Myrestam and SR North area manager Olov Carlsson already had begun a conversation aiming for a minority strategy within the organisation.
As we began discussing this, it became clear that our perspectives aligned. My international work — including exchanges with colleagues in Canada — became an important source of inspiration, strengthening and shaping the ongoing strategic work.
Ulf Myrestam and Olov Carlsson played a key role in how the work moved forward. They prioritised inclusion, we made sure editorial teams were involved, and created real opportunities for staff to contribute throughout the process.
From there, the work became a joint effort. In spring 2025, the formal process began.
From the outset, it was essential that the strategy would not be developed about the minority channels, but with them. Sameradion, Sveriges Radio Finska, Meänraatio and Radio Romano were all actively involved. We also brought together all employees from the minority channels for the first time at a joint meeting in August 2025 — creating space for shared perspectives across languages and editorial environments.
This approach was crucial. Sveriges Radio has one minority assignment, but it reaches five different groups with distinct histories, languages and realities. Some challenges overlap — others do not. The strategy therefore had to be grounded in deep knowledge, mutual respect and an inside perspective.
Why was a strategy necessary? Because national minority output is not peripheral — it is central. A clear strategy strengthens internal understanding, raises the status of the work, and ensures it is valued alongside other priorities. It also signals externally that this is a core part of public service.
One important discussion concerned the Sámi. The Sámi are recognised by the Swedish Parliament as Sweden’s only Indigenous people, including through a constitutional amendment in 2011. Although public broadcasting legislation does not always explicitly mention Indigenous status, it rests on constitutional principles. Including this clearly in the strategy was important — particularly at a time when Sámi Indigenous status and Indigenous rights continue to be questioned in parts of society. For a public service organisation, clarity and accuracy matter.
“Listeners should recognise their language, culture and everyday lives in our content. Dialogue matters, and children and young people are a clear priority.”
These discussions also strengthened internal knowledge and awareness.
A key moment in the process came in June 2025, when Robert Doane visited Stockholm to share CBC/Radio-Canada’s experience of developing an Indigenous strategy. Together with producer Lenard Monkman, and with support from PMA’s Global Grant, we also organised a full conference day in Sápmi, in Kiruna, where Sameradion has its headquarters. That exchange not only inspired us, but also provided knowledge and perspectives that proved important in the work on the minority strategy.
The strategy, adopted in April 2026, defines a clear dual mission.
Listen to our podcast episode on the amplification of indigenous stories in public media:
On the one hand, it strengthens our responsibility towards our own communities. We are there to reflect everyday life, make languages and voices heard, and produce journalism from within. That includes critical and independent reporting — journalism that takes communities seriously and respectfully.
On the other hand, it strengthens our responsibility towards the wider public. Our content should increase knowledge and understanding beyond core audiences. This is essential in a society where awareness of national minorities and the Sámi remains low. Increasing knowledge is a necessary step towards reducing prejudice, racism, hate and threats.
The strategy is built on three pillars.
First, we guide audiences to minority languages and cultures, through conscious and varied language choices and by making our content visible and accessible to wider audiences.
Second, we prioritise our own journalism, producing original and relevant content for our core audiences, while collaborating within Sveriges Radio and across public service to reach further.
Third, we stay close to our audiences. Listeners should recognise their language, culture and everyday lives in our content. Dialogue matters, and children and young people are a clear priority.
All of this is anchored in a digital-first perspective.
What comes next is implementation, learning and long-term commitment. I hope this strategy will make our work more conscious, focused and ambitious; that our audiences will feel it as a real commitment to them; and that it will contribute to greater understanding — within Sveriges Radio and in society at large.
This is good for our audiences, our editorial teams and Sveriges Radio as a whole. It strengthens public service, builds trust, and I am proud and humbled to have been part of this effort alongside all our colleagues.
About the author
Thomas Sarri has been working for Sámi Radio at Swedish Radio since 1995. He began his career as a reporter and, over nearly three decades, has taken on a wide range of roles within the organization, with news as a recurring focus. In 2012, he was awarded the Sámi Journalism Award for revealing how members of the Swedish Parliament influenced a state-commissioned investigation about the Sámi Parliament. After more than ten years as head of the newsroom, Thomas stepped into the role of Head of Sámi Radio in February 2022.
Featured image: Sameradion i Jokkmokk. Anne-Marit Päiviö intervjuar stipendiaten Lise Tapio Pittja. Credit: Swedish Radio
Related Posts
New collective launches to support Indigenous representation, storytelling and languages
Indigenous Partnerships in Public Media…
Different ways of storytelling and a new Indigenous news alliance
A discussion with Tristan Ahtone on…
CBC/Radio-Canada releases progress report on National Indigenous Strategy
More Indigenous partnerships and…