Auto Bild Suomi and Ilta-Sanomat are to merge their motoring journalist teams. The new joint desk will benefit readers through higher-quality content in both publications.As part of the creation of the new joint team, Ilta-Sanomat’s motoring journalists will transfer to Auto Bild Suomi. The new team will be headed up by the Editor-in-Chief of Sanoma Magazines’ three car magazines – Auto Bild Suomi, V8 Magazine, and GTi-Magazine – Jarmo Markkanen.“Auto Bild Suomi and the motoring section of Ilta-Sanomat complement each other very well,” says Jarmo Markkanen. “Both publications focus on the latest scoops in the motoring world, test a large number of new models, and work hard to cover topics of particular interest to Finnish motorists. By combining our resources and expertise, we will be able to offer our readers better and more varied content.”The new joint motoring desk will produce content for the print and on-line editions of both publications. In line with current practice, the same articles will not be duplicated, with content always being tailored to the specific format and readership in question.“By coordinating our car testing arrangements, for example, we will be able to devote more of our resources to our core activities, such as our in-depth articles and our test reports. We will also be able to devote more efforts to our on-line and video content. Maintaining a high standard of journalistic content calls for a lot of know-how and expertise in today’s world, and our new joint editorial team will allow us to develop the skills we need more effectively,” continues Jarmo Markkanen.“We believe that the new editorial arrangement will strengthen Sanoma’s position as a producer of quality motoring content and enhance our ability to develop our offering across all our various channels,” says Tapio Sadeoja, Ilta-Sanomat’s Publisher and Senior Editor-in-Chief.Auto Bild Suomi appears twice a month and combines the extensive test resources of Europe’s largest motoring magazine, Auto Bild, with content specifically written for Finnish readers, discussion on topical issues affecting the motoring world, and informative material serving motorists’ everyday needs. Ilta-Sanomat, Finland’s second-largest newspaper, has offered its readers a motoring section in its Friday edition for decades, and the motoring section of the paper’s on-line edition is one of the largest in Finland and attracts hundreds of thousands of readers.In addition to producing content for its own needs, Auto Bild Suomi also provides motoring-related material for Sanoma’s free sheets.Further information:Jarmo Markkanen, Editor-in-Chief, Sanoma Magazines’ car magazines, tel.+358 (0)400 454 961Tapio Sadeoja, Publisher and Senior Editor-in-Chief, Ilta-Sanomat, tel. +358 (0)40 507 7285Auto Bild Suomi is Finland’s most up-to-the-minute and international car magazine, and features the latest news from the motoring world, as well as the first tests on new cars launched in Finland. The magazine has a circulation of 45,623 (FABC 2011) and 155,000 readers (NRS Reader 2011). Auto Bild Suomi is part of the portfolio of Finland’s largest magazine publisher, Sanoma Magazines Finland.