Press freedom: “A journalist does not think about whom any given piece should please or upset” – what our journalists would like the audience to understand better about their work

“These days, when public debate is often quite polarized, I hope people remember that the role of journalists is to provide information and serve readers. The principle of an independent media is that journalists report as impartially as possible. A journalist does not think about whom any given story should please or upset, but seeks to establish how things really are.

In journalistic work, choices are of course made all the time – which topics to take on and which not – but what is decisive is that the choices are made on journalistic grounds.

Compared with many other countries, trust in the media is at a good level in Finland. You can also see it in the way many readers approach us with their concerns and hope that our journalists will find out the truth about one matter or another. We are extremely grateful for this trust and for these contacts from the audience, and we strive to do our work in a way that is worthy of that trust.”

Miia Talvio, Managing Editor, Ilta-Sanomat

“Especially in social media discussions, you often see the idea that journalists, with their stories, are advancing the cause of some particular actor or party and distorting the truth to push their agenda. Yet the basic idea of journalism is exactly the opposite: first and foremost, a journalist’s job is to convey to the reader impartial, multifaceted information about the world and its phenomena, so that people can, on that basis, build their own understanding of what is true and good.

As a Culture and Good Life journalist myself, I think that in my stories I want to highlight as many kinds of people and as many ways of being and living as possible. What matters is that, above all, the voices of the interviewees are heard in the stories, not mine.

Ideally, journalism does not set up confrontations but helps to understand why other people think and act differently from the reader. Many of my interviewees view the world from a different angle than I do, but I make sure not to let that show in my stories. When I do my work, I never start out on anyone’s side or against anyone. Most readers are wise enough to weigh what they read and decide for themselves how to relate to the issues and phenomena described in a story.”

Kaisa Järvelä, journalist, Aamulehti, Culture and Good Life desk

“Especially in investigative journalism, where the subjects of a story do not by default want the piece to be published, a journalist often cannot publish a story that answers every question exhaustively. Then a choice has to be made between whether the audience gets to know only what the journalist has been able to find out, or whether the audience does not get to know anything about the matter. It also often happens that the first story leads to new sources coming forward.”

Jarno Liski, journalist, Helsingin Sanomat, investigative team

Finland’s ranking at a historic low in the Press Freedom Index

The Press Freedom Index published on Thursday, 30 April shows that Finland’s position has dropped to sixth. It is the lowest position in the entire 25‑year history of the index. For the previous four years, Finland was in fifth place. The index is topped once again by Norway, with the Netherlands, Estonia, Denmark and Sweden also ahead of Finland.

The Press Freedom Index assesses press freedom through five different perspectives: the political environment, the legal framework, economic conditions, the sociocultural climate and the safety of journalists. Together, they form an overall picture of the conditions in which journalism is practised in different countries.

Independent journalism is Sanoma’s core mission

At Sanoma, strengthening independent journalism and supporting open public discourse are at the heart of our sustainability work. We are a member of the Council for Mass Media in Finland, and our work is guided by the Guidelines for Journalists.

"Through our media business, we promote freedom of expression by providing reliable information and independent journalism grounded in journalistic ethics. When people have access to trustworthy journalism, they can form their own opinions and take part in public debate. That is why, in developing our news media, we always assess how our choices affect freedom of expression", Sanoma’s Sustainability Manager Eveliina Nygren says.

Sanoma’s news media reach 67% of Finns aged 15+ every day and as many as 84% weekly. The combined print and digital total reach of Sanoma’s magazine media is 53%. Together, Sanoma’s news and magazine media reach 90% of Finns. (KMT 2025)

Read more about Sanoma’s sustainability work