Finnish death news site draws readers but remains unprofitable

Finland’s first online news outlet focused on deaths attracted more than 100,000 visits and nearly 230,000 page views in 2025, but it is not yet profitable, Yle reports.

Ikuisuusmedia.fi launched in November 2024. Its editor-in-chief and founder, Tapani Postila, said the audience figures were encouraging, although subscription and advertising revenue still fell short of making the operation fully sustainable. He did not disclose the number of subscribers.

Postila said he had received almost exclusively positive feedback from readers, who told him there was a need for the service. He believes the outlet needs time to establish itself in a sensitive and challenging field.

The independent outlet, whose newsroom is based in Kokkola, publishes reports on the deaths of well-known and lesser-known people, obituaries, expert interviews, columns and personal stories. Readers can submit death notices and obituaries for free. Some articles are available only to subscribers.

Its coverage also includes practical advice, such as what to do when a relative or tenant dies. Postila said the publication focuses on moving stories, sensitivity, useful information and personal experience. It does not publish sensationalist stories or reports about car crashes.

Most of Ikuisuusmedia’s revenue comes from advertising. The company is seeking advertisers beyond the funeral sector, including legal and wellbeing services and other businesses connected with major life changes. It is also looking for sales staff on commission.

Miikka Merikoski of Media Metrics Finland, which produces official audience measurements for Finnish websites, said the site’s traffic was strong for a specialised outlet with a limited subject area. Outi Itävuo of Aikakausmedia, an industry association, said survival for an independent specialist publication was difficult but not impossible. She noted that newsletters can help bring readers back, particularly as visibility on social media and search engines becomes more challenging.

Ikuisuusmedia says it has published several hundred edited stories. One of its popular features asks public figures the same ten questions about death. The outlet keeps some successful articles on its front page for longer than a traditional news outlet might.