Illuminating Immigration in Media: Contemporary Perspectives from Sweden and the Twin Cities

Thursday, June 4, 2026 | 6–8 pm 

The inaugural Edward and Elizabeth Carlson Sweden Project event featured journalists from The Local Sweden and Sahan Journal in conversation about how immigration issues are covered in Sweden and Minnesota.

Over 120 people attended the event, including Swedish language teachers and students, ASI board members and staff, Swedish expats, and community members interested in broadening their perspective on immigration in both Sweden and the United States.

Immigrant communities around the world have specific needs for information not always covered by traditional newspapers and have historically benefitted from news sources dedicated to their distinct experiences. James Savage (The Local Sweden), Andrew Hazzard (Sahan Journal), and Shubhanjana Das (Sahan Journal) discussed their experiences working for mission-driven newsrooms covering stories for and about immigrants in Sweden and Minnesota.

Moderator Fred de Sam Lazaro (Under-Told Stories, PBS NewsHour), asked pointed questions to explore contemporary immigration issues in Sweden and Minnesota and their recent historical context through the lens of journalism, illuminating how coverage differs in each country and what we can learn from each other. Panelists also shared what it’s like being a journalist and working for a newsroom with a specific purpose: to provide essential information for immigrant communities.

The event featured a moderated panel conversation with the journalists, an audience Q&A, and ended with facilitated roundtable discussions. Through these discussions, participants were able to meet new people and start to process the ideas they heard in the panel conversation, deepening their understanding and engagement with the content.

Topics covered in the panel discussion included among others what it was like reporting on immigration stories during Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota, recent changes in Swedish immigration policy and their impact on immigrants, the importance of local news generally and in particular the importance of news sources focused on reporting for and about immigrant communities, and what types of stories about immigrants are covered or not covered by the media.

New partnerships

ASI was pleased to build new partnerships while planning for this inaugural event.

It was a pleasure to work with The Local Sweden, which was founded in 2004 to cover Swedish news and essential information in English for immigrants, frequent visitors, and others interested in Swedish news. The publication has since expanded to offer coverage in 9 European countries. This new partnership will help raise awareness of ASI in Sweden. Journalist and panelist James Savage published an article based on his visit, added several videos from his visit to the Local Sweden’s social media pages, and released a podcast episode about his time in Minnesota. He was very impressed by our Twin Cities and state and particularly interested in the Swedish-American community here, both historical and contemporary, and the parallels and differences between Minnesotan and Swedish culture.

ASI was also pleased to strengthen the partnership with Sahan Journal, a local news outlet founded in 2019 as a nonprofit digital newsroom dedicated to reporting for immigrants and communities of color in Minnesota. In 2026, Sahan Journal earned global recognition, receiving the Columbia Journalism Award and Education Writers Association Award. Sahan Journal has been a media partner for the ASI Food Program’s Our Shared Table series, which highlights how food traditions change through the universal experience of migration and meeting new people. ASI looks forward to continuing to partner with Sahan Journal on upcoming events and initiatives.

About the panelists and moderator

James Savage is Founder and Publishing Director of The Local, the biggest source of local news and advice for international professionals/expats in nine European countries. His focus is on building reader revenues and making news sustainable in the 21st century for the benefit of diverse audiences across Europe. He writes about Swedish and European affairs for The Local and is a frequent commentator in Swedish media on British and Swedish affairs. He is chair of the Swedish Magazine Publishers’ Association (Sveriges tidskrifter) and chair of Utgivarna, which gathers all major Swedish media companies to speak on areas of common interest and promote free speech. He won Sveriges Tidskrifter’s Grand Prize in 2021 for his contributions to the Swedish media industry. James lives in Stockholm and is originally from Lincolnshire, England.

Andrew Hazzard is a reporter with Sahan Journal who focuses on climate change and environmental justice issues. After starting his career in daily newspapers in Mississippi and North Dakota, Andrew returned to Minneapolis where he worked for local publications such as Southwest Journal. He is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism and a member of the Society of Environmental Journalists. Andrew enjoys travel, speaks Spanish, and is a depressed supporter of Minnesota’s professional sports teams. He and his wife live in Minneapolis.

Shubhanjana Das is a reporter at Sahan Journal. She is a journalist from India and previously worked as a reporting fellow at Sahan before stepping into her current role. Before moving to the U.S., she spent five years working as an independent journalist in India, writing for outlets including VICE, Vogue, The Indian Express, and Mongabay. She is a 2026 National Press Foundation fellow and graduated from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in 2025.

Fred de Sam Lazaro is the founder and executive director of the Under-Told StoriesProject and has served as a correspondent for the PBS NewsHour, since 1985. He also was a regular contributor and substitute anchor for PBS’ Religion and Ethics Newsweekly. Fred also has directed films from India and the Democratic Republic of Congo for the acclaimed documentary series, Wide Angle. Fred has reported from 70 countries with a focus on the myriad issues that underlie poverty and human suffering which are under-reported in the mainstream U.S. media.