‘Power Investigation’ Neglected: The Case of the Finnish Newspaper Helsingin Sanomat

Abstract

A media and communications study conducted within the Finnish research programme on power represents one of the Nordic power investigations. In analysing the discourse of globalisation in the editorials of the largest newspaper of the Nordic countries, Helsingin Sanomat, journalism is studied in one of its most significant societal function: investigating the exercise of power. The understanding of power and those tasked with providing public perspectives on it is seen to be a topic that exceeds the analysis of temporary state commissions. Rather, it concerns the essence of the media system and thus becomes an issue of general relevance.

Keywords::

• journalism
• media
• political culture
• power investigation

Notes

¹ The researchers were Risto Heiskala from the University of Jyväskylä, and Anu Kantola, Lotta Lounasmeri and Karoliina Malmelin from the University of Helsinki.

² See Lounasmeri (2006) for the evolvement of the Finnish public discussion. On the concept of the competition state, see Cerny (1990: 204–47), Kantola (2006) and Heiskala (2006).

³ Other countries representing the democratic-corporatist model have included the Nordic countries, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. See Hallin and Mancini (2004) and Herkman (2009).

⁴ Finnish Audit Bureau of Circulations: www.levikintarkastus.fi/english/statistics.php (accessed 11 December 2012).

⁵ Sanoma Oyj has operations in 20 European countries. The group is among the top five European magazine publishers. In addition to Finland, it has a strong position in Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine. The group has an annual turnover of 2.761 billion Euros and 15,400 employees (2010; Sanoma's annual report 2010.)