The purpose of this study is to contribute with knowledge about the discourses that appear in the media concerning the librarian, as an official, in a political landscape. The method and theory used is critical discourse analysis, based on Fairclough's three-dimensional model for discourse analysis. 47 articles, editorials and debate articles related to the Lenninger affair have been analysed. Through the material three discourses emerge: The discourse of the correct and knowledgeable official, The discourse of the politician who owns the cultural policy issue and The discourse of the absent librarian.Together the discourses show the complex interplay that exists between librarians and politicians in a changing political landscape. The established image of politicians who stay at arm's length from library activities is under negotiation. With new parties the former roles are no longer self-evident. The arms of politicians can be perceived as getting shorter.The study shows the importance of finding an approach to the new political landscape as an official. The librarian also needs to be active in defining his own professional role and to be heard in the debate about professional ethics and what role the library should have in society. Politicians who do not listen to the librarian’s knowledge risk creating a breeding ground for activist librarians who shape the library's activities based on their own values. The legitimacy of the library appears to be threatened if there is not a clear common vision for it from librarians and politicians.