Yle Novosti reporters at the newsdesk in Helsinki. From left: Heli Jormanainen, Lena Pushkarjova, Heidi Zidan and Levan Tvaltvadze. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Unbiased news important for Russians in Finland
Finland’s state broadcaster YLE is additional to Barents Observer the only provider of Russian language news in the Nordic countries.
December 05, 2017
ADVERTISEMENT
«Our task is to tell about what happens in Finland. We try to give neutral news, and that is what makes us popular,» says Heli Jormanainen with YLE’s news-desk in Uutiskatu (News street) in Helsinki.
On Wednesday, Finland’s 100 years of independence from Russia will be celebrated, but relations with Russia is still an important part of Finnish society.
In the period from just before the breakup of the Soviet Union, thousands of people with Finnish roots, the Ingrians from the region around St. Petersburg, moved to Finland. Not all of them spoke Finnish. Today, there are more than 25,000 Russian Ingrians living in Finland.
Also, many other Russians have moved to Finland over the last two decades.
«There are about 70,000 Russians and Finnish-Russians living in Finland today. Many of then, especially the elderly people, never learned Finnish properly,» Jormanainen tells. «Our news service is needed.»
YLE started to air news in Russian language in 1990. Today, they no longer provide radio news, but YLE Novosti (News) publishes on internet and has news bulletins on TV. «Russians in Finland knows that YLE is quality and unbiased news,» explains Levan Tvaltvadze.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Sections
Democracy and Media 
The Barents Observer Newsletter
After confirming you're a real person, you can write your email below and we include you to the subscription list.
