Journalism

Stylised human figures intertwined in a ribbon-like network. To the left of the design the commemoration inscription in Finnish — "JOURNALISMI" — and to the right in Swedish — "JOURNALISTIK". Below: the mint mark of the Finnish Mint, the year "2021", and the country abbreviation "FI".

Press freedom in Finland is not an abstract norm but a constitutional principle consistently put into practice. The country has held top positions in international press freedom rankings for years and is regarded as one of the most journalism-friendly nations in the world. This foundation goes back a long way: Finland's press tradition developed alongside the national independence movement, and newspapers were already being used in the 19th century as a tool to strengthen Finnish as a written language. At the same time, Finland's media system reflects a particular social feature — the country is officially bilingual, with Finnish and Swedish holding equal status, which is also reflected in the media landscape, where broadcasting and print serve both language communities equally.

Journalism as a profession in Finland is also shaped by comparatively high training standards; universities in Helsinki and Tampere are among the oldest and most respected journalism schools in Northern Europe. Public trust in the media is considered above average — a value of particular weight at a time of growing media scepticism in many democracies. Finland has thereby taken on an international role model function that extends far beyond its size. With the 2021 2-euro commemorative coin, Finland honoured journalism as a societal institution — a theme whose timeliness and political relevance could hardly have been chosen more fittingly.