Cartoonist Ville Ranta is not afraid to tackle sensitive topics in times of crisis – “Responsibility in Finland is sometimes confused with fear”

Ville Ranta believes that Finland has an atmosphere where it is responsible to be afraid. His Erdogan cartoons are meant to irritate.

– In my opinion, it is not very responsible to be scared all the time, but it is better to try to keep your head up if there is no concrete threat directly ahead, says Ville Ranta.

In times of crisis, traditional media are also seen as having a responsibility to help maintain social peace.

– During the interest rate pandemic, it was stressed that the media is part of security of supply. That we are part of something like this great patriotic mission. That sounds pretty bad,” says Vehkoo.

The job of a cartoonist is to annoy

With his art, Ville Ranta has taken a stand on the stages of the Russian war of aggression and Finland’s NATO process.

According to Ranta, the task of caricatures in the field of journalism is to present things in a silly way and to strip them of respect. For example, Ville Ranta has drawn a picture in which Turkish President Erdogan pees on President Niinistö’s morning cereal.

Ranta’s drawing published in Iltalehti a couple of weeks ago.

Ranta says that he noticed with his satirist’s instinct that an atmosphere had arisen in the Finnish public debate where one did not dare to say anything on the subject.

– I heard the bell of duty ringing and drew on the subject, Ranta says.

Ranta admits that he also wanted to annoy with his drawing.

– It’s not a secret now. That’s my job.

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