erstr?mtookupallofforty-sixpagesofthemagazineandexplodedlikeatimebombthelastweekofNovember.ThemainstoryappearedunderthejointbylineofMikaelBlomkvistandErikaBerger.Forthefirstfewhoursthemediadidnotknowhowtohandlethescoop.AsimilarstoryjustayearearlierhadresultedinBlomkvistbeingconvictedoflibel,andithadalsoapparentlyresultedinhisbeingdismissedfromMillennium.Forthatreasonhiscredibilitywasregardedasratherlow.Nowthesamemagazinewasbackwithastorybythesamejournalistcontainingmuchmoreseriousallegationsthanthearticleforwhichhehadrunintosomuchtrouble.Somepartsofthereportweresoabsurdthattheydefiedmonsense.TheSwedishmediasatandwaited,filledwithmistrust.
ButthateveningSheonTV4ledoffwithaneleven-minutesummaryofthehighlightsinBlomkvist’sausations.Bergerhadlunchedwiththehostseveraldaysearlierandgivenheranadvanceexclusive.
TV4’sbrutalprofilescoopedthestate-runnewschannels,whichdidnotclamberontothebandwagonuntilthe9:00news.BythentheTTwireservicehadalsosentoutitsfirstwirewiththecautiousheadline:CONVICTEDJOURNALISTAUSESFINANCIEROFSERIOUSCRIME.ThetextwasarewriteoftheTVstory,butthefactthatTTaddressedthesubjectatallunleashedfeverishactivityattheConservativemorningnewspaperandatadozenofthelargerregionalpapersastheyresettheirfrontpagesbeforethepressesstartedrolling.Upuntilthen,thepapershadmoreorlessdecidedtoignoretheMillenniumallegations.
TheLiberalmorningnewspapermentedonMillennium’sscoopintheformofaneditorial,writtenpersonallybytheeditorinchief,earlierintheafternoon.TheeditorinchiefthenwenttoadinnerpartyasTV4startedbroadcastingitsnewsprogramme.Hedismissedhissecretary’sfrantiallsthatthere“mightbesomething”toBlomkvist’sclaimswiththeselaterfamouswords:“Nonsense—iftherewere,ourfinancialreporterswouldhavefoundoutaboutitlongago.”Consequently,theLiberaleditorinchief’seditorialwastheonlymediavoiceinthecountrythatbutcheredMillennium’sclaims.Theeditorialcontainedphrasessuchas:personalvendetta,criminallysloppyjournalism,anddemandsthatmeasuresbetakenagainstindictableallegationsregar