STOCKHOLM • He combs his hair back and puts on his jacket. He attaches the hidden camera and grabs his tapped phone. Then he walks to his job. A job he only took in hopes of revealing a democratic wrongdoing affecting the political arena – from racism and hatred to disinformation and mistrust.
His name is Daniel Andersson, and this is the story of how a young investigative journalist came to win the most prestigious prize within the industry, but also left him looking over his shoulder everywhere he goes.
By Emily Hellichius Georgsson
In the scenes from Kalla fakta, TV4’s investigative show, the audience can see Daniel Andersson’s journey into infiltrating the Sweden Democrats’ ‘Troll Factory’ – a well-organized operation whose purpose is to spread disinformation online.
”I am very justice-driven, so it was a challenge during my time undercover pretending I was okay with hate speech and racism,” the 25-year-old says while taking a sip of his coffee.
From Unknown to Threatened
Daniel Andersson was raised in a little village called Lödöse, outside Gothenburg. He points out two life-changing events that have taken him where he is today – an award-winning journalist just moments after he started his career.
In his early twenties, he dreamed of traveling the world, but then the pandemic hit. Instead, he decided to study journalism at the University of Gothenburg. He started to work part-time at Göteborgs-Posten, and began his internship at Kalla fakta. “One can say that everything has worked out pretty smoothly.”
The second life-changing event was his time working on the ‘Troll Factory’ investigation. After growing up in a small community where “everyone knows everyone,” Daniel Andersson felt confident in being able to blend into the crowd in a big city like Stockholm.
“That changed after the episodes of our investigation aired, and I was not prepared for that… Today is one of the few days I am not wearing a hat to cover my looks.”
The revelation led to great media attention throughout Sweden. What he did not realise back then was that some of the attention online would be directed towards himself, and not on the wrongdoing highlighted.
In the last episode of the investigation, the audience can hear Communications Manager Joakim Wallerstein (SD) threatening to slander Daniel Andersson online and take legal action against him. The leader of the Sweden Democrats, Jimmie Åkesson, gave a speech to the nation to conduct damage control regarding the revelation of the disinformation campaign.
“It felt personal.”
He pauses for a second and looks around the cafe. With a lower voice he says:
“TV4’s security team judged that the speech could be seen as a call for action. My partner and I could not stay at home and all employees were urged to download the SOS Alarm app.”
Daniel Andersson looks towards the entrance and the people walking in. “You become more nervous… I have started to look up people more thoroughly before meeting them. But the support from my employer has been great.”
His answer is a quick “no” when asked if he was offered permanent employment after the investigation – but with a little smile, he adds that it might happen soon.
Looking back over the past year, a lot has happened. Daniel Andersson has infiltrated and exposed how a parliamentary party spreads disinformation and hatred online with tax money. He has gone from being an unknown reporter to a well-known face. He has been forced to lie and keep his life secret from his family.
“If you look at the aftermath, and the discussions it resulted in, it was worth it. However, if it would be up for discussion to do anything like this again, I would say that it is essential and important – but someone else can be the one going undercover.”
Facts: Daniel Andersson
Age: 25
Known for: 'Kalla fakta: Undercover i trollfabriken'.
Advice: Be curious! And well-structured when it comes to collecting material.
Text written by Emily Hellichius Georgsson