Ledarsidorna.se was founded as a blog in 2014 by a former intelligence officer and government consultant specialising in (radical) Islamism, Johan Westerholm. Westerholm's blog evolved into a magazine that now publishes in-depth investigative journalism focused on the intersection between government, society, and religion. The online magazine is especially outspoken on the topic of extremism on either end of the political spectrum.
Westerholm is the platform's main contributor, but he reaches out to other experts when covering stories unrelated to his areas of expertise, for example, on topics such as the energy crisis or the Swedish forestry sector.
Westerholm aims to be a neutral observer. But to be completely transparent and have the right to freedom of speech, he disclosed himself as an independent social democrat. Westerholm thinks it is "important that political journalists are open about their political views".
The website states: "Readers who think the quality is good enough are welcome to donate afterwards or donate one, two or three kroner per day in the form of a monthly donation. Ledarsidorna.se is thus 'owned' by its readers, unlike other media actors." The platform, therefore, has "no loyalties to any ownership groups" and can remain completely independent.
Source: Oasis Europe
Last updated date: November 2025
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