The future of press freedom is blurry: \”I am speechless with development,\” says the researcher

Today, the International Press Freedom Day is celebrated. We asked two experts what the current media situation and future look like.

The journalists without borders published the latest press -free index on Friday. According to it, the freedom of the press in the world is already declining in the seventh consecutive year.

Nordic countries and Estonia – the last fortresses of press freedom?

The Nordic countries ranked among the top six in the press free index. Norway is at the top. Estonia is second and the Netherlands is third. Next are Sweden, Finland and Denmark.

The Nordic countries are at the forefront because they have traditionally had a stable press. It is explained by a favorable media environment: in all the Nordic countries – and also in Estonia – has a strong broadcast and strong commercial media. This combination has proven to work. The media has also been supported by legislation and various media support systems.

– Our research reveals constant harassment, which has greatly intensified in the era of social media. Collective attacks such as painting is really devastating.

The same is emphasized by Anu Koivunen: The insecurity experienced by journalists is more strong and affects Finland’s placement. Journalistic work is subject to political pressure and personal harassment.

Koivunen uses the case of Helsingin Sanomat’s Message Test Center as an example.

– It accuses journalists for planning publications. It raises questions: what the idea of \u200b\u200bmedia freedom at the prosecution is, Koivunen asks.

The threat of Trump and the power of social media

According to Kaarina Nikunen, the deterioration of press freedom is due to the turn of the political field in a more authoritarian direction.

– In traditional democracies, such as the United States, there has been a clear attack on freedom of expression and research in different ways.

Europe, in turn, is influenced by the rise of the far right and the typical way to attack traditional media. Nikunen gives an example:

– Weakening of the superior is a clear sign of it, and it is very worrying. The task of YLE is to serve all citizens. For example, we need a communication infrastructure that is in national hands as crisis. It is a fundamentally important dimension of the welfare state, says Nikunen.

Anu Koivunen thinks that global forces that oppose pluralism, science and independent professional journalism have long been on the move.

– There are countries, such as Hungary or Turkey, where the media of public service is taken into political guidance and the activities of commercial media are restricted. It is precisely the change in media environments that a global press freedom report says, says Koivunen

The political atmosphere is changing, and at the same time, social media platforms displace the traditional press.

They make it difficult for traditional media to finance their activities. Why pay for content if you get it for free?

Nikunen points out that big google and meta giants also influence how people find traditional media and their news at all.

The giant dominates the platform economy and the entire infrastructure. Algorithms decide what people see and what they don’t.

-The platforms are spreading false news and false information, and some giant does not take responsibility for the content, even though it has been addressed, for example, through EU legislation. The media environment is really challenging at the moment, says Nikunen.

Future – What is visible?

Nikunen sees development as a pessimistic: strengthening authoritarian politics is a bad thing for press freedom, but on the other hand, there is resistance.

– The trend has been that big media will survive. And of course we have a lot of new media like *new story *or *long play *that bring the much needed counterbalance to the mixed and somewhat world that you don’t know where to believe.

As \”mixed mels\” adds to artificial intelligence, the distinction of fact from fiction becomes more difficult.

– Artificial intelligence will continue to produce more media content in the future. And then it’s hard to know what is based on the truth and what is invented, Nikunen says.

However, he believes that the need for traditional journalism will be greater in the future.

– The big question is what financial conditions can be done if the power of the giant cannot be brought about. This poses big challenges.

Anu Koivunen thinks that it is very difficult to predict the future of the media at the moment. In the United States, political and economic pressure is accelerating in an unprecedented way.

– It is extreme for the administration’s revenge mentality and the display of power to the media and journalists. It seems impossible to think where this leads to. I’m speechless with development.

In Finland, birch is concerned about the focus of media ownership, which harmonizes content and narrows polyphonic. At the same time, the public service is weakened, the number of suppliers is decreasing and commercial media is in financial distress.

Koivunen criticizes the fact that in Finland, media issues are seen as business policy issues and not as a matter of democracy.

– We have been very visionary in media policy. It is focused on how much you need to cut. Instead, one should think of the whole, he says and continues:

– Decision -makers should understand that now we need to think about how democracies are helped to survive pluralism and stable. The issue of the press is the issue of democracy.

Koivunen thinks that the best recipe is an old and proven: a combination of public service and private media.