HS panel: Fear of religious fanaticism could lead to self-censorship

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By Jyrki Räikkä
     
      A narrow majority of members taking part in a Helsingin Sanomat panel felt that fear of religious fanaticism restricts freedom of expression in Finland.
      The question was made topical by the plan not to air the Danish documentary Bloody Cartoons, which analysed the background of the controversy surrounding the Danish Muhammad cartoons, in the ten-part series Why Democracy?.
      The Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE) denied that dropping the film from its programming would have been linked with the sensitive nature of its content. After Helsingin Sanomat published a news item on the decision to drop the episode from the series, YLE reversed the decision.
     
Self-censorship and an exaggerated caution were seen by many as typical of the Finnish media. Examples cited included the apologies made by Finnish politicians for drawings of Muhammad, as well as the Muhammad cartoon by Ville Ranta, which led to the sacking of the editor of the magazine Kaltio in 2006.
      "Finnish self-censorship has long traditions, and the rationing of freedom of expression has been seen at times as realism, and at times as the beginning of wisdom", notes entrepreneur Raoul Grünstein.
      "Failing to publish something out of fear clearly involves a narrowing of freedom of expression", commented author Antti Tuuri.
      Finland has grown accustomed to pleasing first the Soviet Union, and then the market economy", says comic strip artist Katja Tukiainen. Now Finns are afraid of offending Muslims.
     
Critical appraisal of Islam is hushed up in Finland, claims director Taru Mäkelä. The choreography surrounding the new cartoon documentary serves to crystallise the situation, she says.
      Documentary film director Virpi Suutari says that she has noticed while working with Muslims, how quickly self-censorship begins to kick in.
      "One starts to fear that talking straight and speaking the truth could lead to something bad happening either to one's self, or those who are being discussed", Suutari explains.
     
Theatre Director Arto Kahiluoto feels that the fear of fanaticism is a marginal problem.
      "I suspect, that economic interests, for instance, are causing much greater caution and self-censorship than the fear of religious fanaticism."
      Freedom of expression is relative, notes Jan Zapasnik, editor-in-chief of the music publication Basso. "Political, scientific, cultural, artistic, and especially economic fanaticism seek to limit freedom of expression and the ostensibly free will of the citizenry in Finland."
      Dramaturge Juha-Pekka Hotinen actually hopes that the fear of fanaticism will restrict freedom of expression somewhat.
      "Apparently only fear will teach the Western world to examine its own violence and hypocrisy. Are cartoons the most valuable dimension of that freedom?"
     
Writer Elina Hirvonen feels that it is easy to talk about freedom of expression in connection with the controversy surrounding the cartoons.
      "Greater limits on freedom of expression are imposed by things that are more difficult to see: the concentration of ownership in the media, the power cliques of a small country, and self-censorship among journalists, which is certainly not reduced by short term labour contracts", she says.
      In a sensitive question it is better to look than to regret, ponders pictorial artist Kaarina Kaikkonen.
      "It is wise statesmanship to be a little bit careful in this sensitive matter, if Finns plan to work together with Muslim countries."
     
The media needs to analyse where the border between normal journalistic discretion and self-censorship lies, emphasises Johanna Korhonen, editor-in-chief of Journalisti, a publication of the Finnish Journalists' Union.
      "Journalistic discretion is based on information, values, and visions, while the basis of self-censorship is often murky, unspoken, or vague."
      YLE journalist and producer Timo Harakka emphasises that YLE can use the same kind of journalistic discretion as Helsingin Sanomat, which has not published the Muhammad cartoons on its pages.
      "YLE is showing the documentary by Karsten Kjær next Tuesday. Will Helsingin Sanomat print the Muhammad cartoons on the same day?"
     
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 12.10.2007
     
The HS panel is a group of more than 100 influential figures in the arts, science, and the media compiled by the cultural section of Helsingin Sanomat .


Previously in HS International Edition:
  YLE reverses decision: documentary on Muhammad cartoons to be shown (11.10.2007)
  Finnish and Swedish media refrain from publishing Danish cartoons (6.2.2006)
  Danish director angered at YLE decision to shelve documentary (10.10.2007)
  Vanhanen apology over Muhammad pictures was Prime Minister´s own decision (16.2.2006)

JYRKI RÄIKKÄ / Helsingin Sanomat
jyrki.raikka@hs.fi