Academic says Finland should rebuild STT if agency closes

Finland should establish a new national news agency if the Finnish News Agency STT shuts down, docent Heikki Hellman of Tampere University told Yle. He said STT is important to the country’s preparedness and to providing a shared basis for news.

STT is facing change negotiations covering its entire staff, threatening the agency’s operations. Founded in 1887, it has been loss-making for a long time. Hellman warned that Finland could become one of the few countries in the world without a national news agency.

He said STT has helped the media and the public build a shared understanding of society at a time of disinformation. Hellman expects the agency’s future to become an issue in the next government programme and urged politicians to recognise its importance.

Hellman said STT may need to be re-established in a different form, as its current limited company structure may no longer work. He pointed to cooperative or public-law models used in other European countries, funded through fees paid by media organisations. He also said state media support would probably be needed.

STT’s news and photo agency businesses have been unprofitable for years. Its largest shareholder, Sanoma, stopped using its services last year. STT chief executive Kimmo Laaksonen has said subsequent change negotiations did not achieve the required savings. STT has often been named Finland’s most trusted news outlet in surveys, most recently this summer.