Yle news chief pledges greater audience involvement in shaping future journalism

Yle’s head of news and sports has committed to deeper collaboration with audiences after a public call for feedback earlier this year yielded concrete proposals for improving the broadcaster’s journalism, Panu Pokkinen wrote in a statement Tuesday.

Pokkinen, who solicited input in January to guide Yle’s editorial strategy, said the overwhelming response confirmed the public service broadcaster’s central role in Finnish media—while revealing clear demands for more investigative reporting, balanced coverage, and transparency in editorial decisions.

“Truth, balance, local relevance, and international perspective emerged as key themes,” he noted, adding that audiences criticized clickbait headlines, careless language, and perceived risks to Yle’s independence. One comment highlighted the value of immersive reporting, citing correspondent Antti Kuros’s work in disaster zones as a model for “getting under the skin” of local experiences rather than relying solely on official narratives.

The feedback has already prompted action, Pokkinen said. Yle recently expanded its global correspondent network—adding posts in three regions—to strengthen international coverage amid what he called a “turbulent” media landscape where distinguishing fact from fiction grows harder. Domestically, the broadcaster will prioritize local news with “front-page urgency,” ensuring regional stories receive national visibility to create a more balanced portrait of Finland.

To address concerns about transparency, Yle will introduce a new segment, Talking About the News, in its morning programming starting this month, explaining editorial choices behind major stories. A planned AI-assisted “content scale” tool aims to help journalists identify blind spots in coverage and propose corrections. Low-threshold explanations of story selections will also appear more frequently in articles, while Pokkinen’s own columns will continue dissecting journalistic decisions.

“The world is fragmenting, expectations are shifting, and technology is upending journalism,” he wrote. “Navigating these crosscurrents requires clarity—and earning trust demands openness about how and why we do what we do.”