President annoyed at media reaction to proposal for press study

Tarja Halonen

print this

On Thursday President Tarja Halonen expressed a degree of frustration with some of the media reactions that were sparked by her proposal last month for a comparative study of how the media in Finland and other European countries have handled the Iraq war and the war monument dispute in Estonia.
      The President took up the issue on Thursday at a 40th anniversary seminar of the Association of Political Journalists.
     
Halonen did not actually say that she was annoyed. Instead, she said that she felt "perplexed sympathy" when she noticed how different journalists reacted to the suggestion raised at a Presidential discussion forum at the President's Palace.
      "It was turned into me demanding a report. I have had to answer on many occasions that nobody was demanding any reports, nobody is bringing anyone before any kind of court", President Halonen said.
      She said that she expressed her wish for a study out of interest, and "perhaps even with some childish delight", thinking that such a study might be done by researchers. Halonen added that she has come to the conclusion that politicians are not allowed to express interest in the media.
      Halonen said that politicians, "even the President", should learn to know the media. "It doesn't make you any less dangerous", Halonen said to the journalists.
     
The statue dispute, Iraq, and Turkish membership in the European Union are examples of issues in which Halonen sees different opinion climates in different countries.
     
On the issue of politicians' private lives, Halonen said that while personal life cannot be "completely sanctified", she hoped that the Finnish media would not follow the examples of British or US newspapers and magazines. "At least spare the children", she said.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Presidential spokeswoman denies Halonen called for study on media response over Estonia and Iraq (10.5.2006)

Helsingin Sanomat