Logo: to the web site of the Swedish Defence University

This study examined how five Swedish authorities: the Armed Forces, the Coast Guard, the Police Authority, the Security Service, and the Prosecutor’s Office communicated their collaboration in connection with the Nord Stream sabotage of 2022. Through a qualitative content analysis of news articles, press releases, official documents, and one interview, the study analyzed the extent to which the communication was influenced by the demands of media logic, as well as how organizational and socio-psychological factors such as formal mandates and organizational culture shaped the external presentation. The results show that Swedish authorities adapted their external communication regarding the Nord Stream sabotage to media logic’s demands for clarity, speed, authority, and control, while balancing confidentiality based on formal mandates and organizational cultural norms. The collaboration was presented as coordinated and clear, but in reality, communication was strongly influenced by each authority’s division of responsibility, internal strategies, and media expectations.