Presidential spokeswoman denies Halonen called for study on media response over Estonia and Iraq

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President Tarja Halonen has not called for a report on the activities of the Finnish media, nor did she lash out at the media, said the President’s press secretary Maria Romantschuk on Wednesday.
      At a special Presidential Forum held on Tuesday, Halonen said that she would like for there to be a study on "what kind of an attitude the Finnish media, in relation to the media in other European countries, has taken toward questions such as Iraq or this bronze soldier."
     
The reference to a bronze soldier alludes to the dispute that broke out between Estonia and Russia over Estonia’s decision to move a monument to a Soviet soldier and transfer it to a cemetery location out of the centre of Tallinn. In a later comment on Tuesday, Halonen criticised the way in which the media has, in her opinion, unnecessarily tried to find differences in the statements of Finnish foreign policy leaders on the dispute.
      There was no indication of why the President would have hoped for a study on how news about Iraq was reported. Romantschuk could not say why Halonen specifically mentioned Iraq.
      "Of course, it is good to examine the activities of the press at times. It is not a demand, but it is interesting to see how much of an influence editorial offices can have on what is being discussed."
     
The influence of the media on the political agenda has not been researched on a comprehensive level in Finland, and it would not be easy, says Risto Kunelius.
      The dominant perception around the world is that it is the political elite that defines the topics and content of mainstream public discourse.
     
In recent years the image has nevertheless been changed by the fact that media is more selective on what it wants to focus on. This characteristic, which is positive as such, can also lead to complications, or to the oversimplification of matters.
      Politicians perhaps have the feeling that everyone asks more or less the same questions, Kunelius ponders.
      He dies not feel that the tendency of the media to become increasingly "opinionated" is particularly a problem in Finland. On the other hand, one particular Finnish characteristic might be a sensitivity in foreign policy commentary, he says.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Kanerva defends EU action in Estonian-Russian statue dispute (9.5.2007)

Links:
  Presidential website: Presidential forum discussed Finland´s foreign policy challenges and opportunities

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