Minna Ala-Heikkilä takes over as Editor-in-Chief for Nokian Uutiset and Tyrvään Sanomat

Alma Media Corporation  Press release                     April 29, 2011 at 9:15am (EEST)

Minna Ala-Heikkilä takes over as Editor-in-Chief for Nokian Uutiset and Tyrvään Sanomat

Nokian Uutiset will have a new Editor-in-Chief the coming autumn. Ms Minna Ala-Heikkilä, presently Editor-in-Chief at Tyrvään Sanomat, will double as Editor-in-Chief for Nokian Uutiset at the beginning of October.  The present Editor-in-Chief of Nokian Uutiset, Mr Martti Jaatinen, will take up a new position in communications at the Tampere Comedy Theatre starting October 1, 2011.

Nokian Uutiset is familiar to Ms Ala-Heikkilä. She worked for Nokian Uutiset from the early 1990s as staff writer and news producer until 2008 when she took up the position of Editor-in-Chief at Tyrvään Sanomat. Ms Ala-Heikkilä has a degree in socionomics from the School of Journalism at the University of Tampere.

“Nokia is a familiar and close place to me, and that is why it is motivating to return to Nokian Uutiset. An interesting newspaper is comprised of well-made news and good reading stories. Good service to readers requires a news-hungry editorial office and a diligent, ambitious way of working. I want to put Nokian Uutiset in an increasingly close contact with its readers.”

Mr Jaatinen has worked at Nokian Uutiset since 1975, first as staff writer and since 1982 as Editor-in-Chief. Mr Jaatinen, who will turn 60 next year, says he has enjoyed his place in the local news flow.

“Three decades as Editor-in-Chief, however, is a long time in one place. Now is the perfect moment to give the reins to someone younger,” Mr Jaatinen says.

Suomen Paikallissanomat Oy, the publisher of both of the newspapers, uses the double Editor-in-Chief model at many locations.

Nokian Uutiset appears three times and Tyrvään Sanomat twice weekly.

Suomen Paikallissanomat Oy is a local newspaper company in Alma Media Corporation and publishes 17 subscription-based local papers and 3 city papers in different parts of Finland.

More information:

Kari Juutilainen, Managing Director, Suomen Paikallissanomat Oy, telephone +358 50 4354159

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