sultifalegalcorrespondentbeganuncriticallyreproducingtheprosecutor’scaseasgospelinamurdertrial,withoutconsultingthedefenceargumentsorinterviewingthevictim’sfamilybeforeforminganopinionofwhatwaslikelyorunlikely.AordingtoBlomkvistthesameruleshadtoapplytofinancialjournalists.
Therestoftheconsistedofachainofevidencetosupporthiscase.Onelongchapterexaminedthereportingofafamousdot-insixdailypapers,aswellasintheFinancialJournal,DagensIndustri,and“A-ekonomi,”thebusinessreportonSwedishTV.Hefirstquotedandsummarisedwhatthereportershadsaidandwritten.Thenhemadeaparisonwiththeactualsituation.Indescribingthedevelopmentofthepanyhelistedtimeaftertimethesimplequestionsthataseriousreporterwouldhaveaskedbutwhichthewholecorpsoffinancialreportershadneglectedtoask.Itwasaneatmove.
AnotherchapterdealtwiththeIPOofTeliastock—itwasthe’smostjocularandironicsection,inwhichsomefinancialwriterswerecastigatedbyname,includingoneWilliamB,towhomBlomkvistseemedtobeparticularlyhostile.AchapterneartheendoftheparedthelevelofpetenceofSwedishandforeignfinancialreporters.HedescribedhowseriousreportersatLondon’sFinancialTimes,theEconomist,andsomeGermanfinancialnewspapershadreportedsimilarsubjectsintheirowncountries.TheparisonwasnotfavourabletotheSwedishjournalists.Thefinalchaptercontainedasketchwithsuggestionsastohowthisdeplorablesituationcouldberemedied.Theconclusionoftheechoedtheintroduction:
Ifaparliamentaryreporterhandledhisassignmentbyuncriticallytakingupalanceinsupportofeverydecisionthatwaspushedthrough,nomatterhowpreposterous,orifapoliticalreporterweretoshowasimilarlackofjudgement—thatreporterwouldbefiredorattheleastreassignedtoadepartmentwhereheorshecouldnotdosomuchdamage.Intheworldoffinancialreporting,however,thenormaljournalisticmandatetoundertakecriticalinvestigationsandobjectivelyreportfindingstothereadersappearsnottoapply.Insteadthemostsuessfulrogueisapplauded.InthiswaythefutureofSwedenisalsobeingcreated,andallremainingtrustinjournalistsasacorpsofprofessionalsisbeingpromised.