Shame on MTV, the privately owned TV station. Why? They are at it again with gusto exploiting crime by youths especially perpetrated by so-called “youths of migrant backgrounds.” In one stroke of a paint brush, MTV with the help of Markku Heinikari, head of the police criminal unit label youths as criminals.The MTV xenophobic stars propping up the racist narrative are the usual ones: Ivan Puopolo and Tiia Palmén, who never answered my emails to her concerning MTV‘s biased reporting.
It is sad, even irresponsible, for the police and the media to label all youths are criminals taking into account how heavy the label weighs on these adolescents. Heinikari as well as MTV are ignorant of Finnish immigration history, when Finns were suspected in the 1960s and 1970s for every crime committed in Sweden.
Does the phrase “en finne igen” [a Finn again*] ring a bell?
With the latest story about youth crime committed by “a majority of adolescents with migrant backgrounds,” MTV pours on the racism again. Policemen like Heinikari do nothing more than reinforce the racist labelling. Imagine, ALL youths “with migrant backgrounds” are guilty of being criminals or at least potential criminals.
Heinikari is an old guest of MTV’s reporting on youth crime. He labelled shamelessly again ike in the past all brown and black youths as criminals. The police states in the picture above: “Migrant background is a clear link in youth robberies, migrant background and in led crime from Sweden.” He does not, however, offer any proof except his opinion, which some would state are racist. Source: MTV
Migrant Tales formed part of a team that exposed in a report how far-right parties like the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* used the youth gang “problem” to help them lure voters. Other culprits included the police and the media.
Former Helsinki Police Chief Commissioner Jari Taponen admitted in the report, “The saddest thing about the youth gang debate is that it labels all minority youths (as potential criminals).”
The fact that media like MTV would care less about labeling youths is nothing new taking into account how it has framed the topic.
A story titled “The Government Plans to Tighten Integration Rules” was
published by MTV, but was taken down
almost immediately. The reporter who interviewed Interior Minister Mari
Rantanen was none other than Ivan Puopolo, well-known for his anti-immigration views. European Islamophobia Report
Other media like Helsingin Sanomat also reported on this phenomena. However, none like MTV, have done so with so much enthusiasm.
