Maintaining the trust of readers is the prerequisite for the survival of media

Responsible journalism provides truthful information about what is going on in the world so that people can form their opinions based on reliable information. Diverse, reliable and independent media secures citizens’ access to information, enables a functioning democracy and strengthens Finns’ ability to recognise disinformation.

Finland has been one of the top countries in the world for press freedom for years. A news media survey from the Reuters Institute for 2022 reports that in Finland, confidence in news is higher than anywhere else in the world. This has been earned through the common responsibility of Finnish journalists and there is a strong will to maintain it.

Alma Media is committed to adhering to the Guidelines for journalists established by the Council for Mass Media, which supports the responsible exercise of freedom of speech and defines good journalistic practice in Finland.

— Reliable, pluralistic and independent journalism is a prerequisite for a functioning democracy in society. We engage in the ethically sustainable activities of those who hold power through investigative journalism, and we do not hesitate to highlight possible grievances, says Perttu Kauppinen, Editor-in-Chief of Iltalehti.

He reminds that maintaining trust is the prerequisite for media’s survival.

— Quality journalism commits readers to the company’s published media for a long time − and readers consider them as reliable and of high quality as pointed out by the reader studies, Kauppinen continues.

Arno Ahosniemi, the corresponding editor-in-chief of Kauppalehti, points out that similarly to other economic and professional media at Alma Media, Kauppalehti also promotes market economy, economic growth of business and society and news about innovation and gives examples of practical solutions, financial results and the latest surveys in sustainable development.

Editors always have the responsibility

The journalistic content of our media is the responsibility of the editors-in-chief of each media, assisted by the supervisors in the editorial staff. They create an editorial culture by providing active guidance and feedback, as well as developing in-house instructions.

—Professionals in the editorial offices understand their professional responsibilities, Ahosniemi says.

However, he is concerned about the challenging equation for media content publishers to invest in digitalisation while revenues decline and costs rise significantly.

Kauppinen and Ahosniemi draw attention to the fact that, while the need for responsible journalism has continued to increase in the fight against disinformation, it has also become economically difficult to produce reliable information supporting equal opportunities for citizens. The global platform giants take a vast majority of digital advertising revenue, but do not produce content themselves nor pay taxes on their profits to Finland.

According to Kauppinen and Ahosniemi, freedom of speech and the functioning of democracy can be strengthened when responsible media has the ability to compete.

— The playing field can be levelled, inter alia, by reducing VAT on magazines and books, by balancing competition with platform and public sector operators, by ensuring equal access to information for citizens through regular, comprehensive and high-quality distribution of journals; and by improving the media literacy of Finns and the position of media education, Ahosniemi states.

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