Finnish journalism students overwhelmingly favour left-wing parties

Journalism students in Finland lean significantly further left politically than the general population, according to a recent study reported by Finnish news agency STT.

The survey found that the Left Alliance was by far the most popular party among respondents, with nearly one-third stating they would vote for it if parliamentary elections were held at the time of the poll. The Greens followed in second place, with around one-fifth of support, while the ruling National Coalition Party (Kokoomus) received just five percent backing from journalism students.

The results contrast sharply with broader public opinion. In Yle’s early March party approval ratings, the Social Democrats (SDP) led, followed by the National Coalition and the Finns Party.

The findings come from a Nordic-wide study conducted late last year, with over 400 Finnish journalism students participating. Jari Väliverronen, coordinator of the national data collection at Tampere University, described the results as preliminary but indicative.

Market research firm Taloustutkimus noted that among students generally, the Left Alliance and SDP frequently alternate as the most popular parties, with the Greens’ support fluctuating. Recently, however, the Greens have declined, allowing the National Coalition to rise to third place.

Taloustutkimus CEO Jari Pajunen attributed the left-wing popularity to government policies, particularly cuts to student benefits. “The government’s economic policies and reduction of subsidies hit young people hard—especially students, who are perhaps more politically aware,” he said.

The Nordic Journalism Students survey also explored students’ views on journalism, their studies, media use, and career aspirations. Over 1,700 students from 27 Nordic institutions responded, including all Finnish journalism schools.

No reliable data exists on the party affiliations of working journalists or editors in Finland. Fact-checking service Faktabaari reviewed available studies in 2023 but found no basis for generalising about journalists’ political leanings.