SVT's Vegetarian Reporter on the Criticism: “I Was Swimming in a Sea of Idiots”

The state broadcaster’s viral report about one of their own reporters, who has been a vegetarian for over 30 years, supposedly receiving a meat burger instead of a veggie burger, was met with widespread criticism. In particular, many questioned the fact that the reporter himself went to Max with a camera crew to confront the incident. Now, reporter Rikard Berglin shares his perspective on the reactions. He describes the situation as a hate storm and says he was “swimming in a sea of idiots.”

In an interview with the trade magazine Journalisten, the SVT reporter chooses to speak out about his own reporting on the visit to the Max hamburger restaurant in Gävle.

The aim was reportedly to investigate how common it is for customers to receive the wrong food, while at the same time confronting the restaurant in a segment that Minister for Civil Affairs Carl-Oskar Bohlin (M) has described as resembling “a private vendetta.”

According to the SVT reporter, the report quickly met with a wave of criticism, personal attacks, and what he himself describes as a hate storm, with hundreds of emails, messages, and phone calls.

– The comments started coming in quickly. Eventually, it was impossible to respond to everything, Berglin told Journalisten.

He also believes that many have misunderstood the segment and think that he exposed an individual employee because he received a meat burger, even though the person interviewed was a responsible manager.

– There’s an impression that we singled out an employee, but the interview was done with an experienced company manager, long after the incident, he says.

The criticism escalated further after citizen journalist Joakim Lamotte questioned the facts and requested to see the receipt for the order.

– There was a new wave of hate where people demanded proof and claimed I made it all up, said Berglin, adding:

– When it was at its darkest, it felt like I was swimming in a sea of idiots.