Sanewashing: the act or practice, especially in the media, of trying to make actions seem sane and normal when they are not.
Tabloids like Iltalehti and Ilta-Sanomat are the worst sanewashers and help to further spread racism and tear teeth off the media.
We haven’t seen this recently but historically tbloids have been the first to strike at migrants and minorities.
A billboard by Ilta-Sanomat that claims “10,000 illegal refugees” will come to Finland this year. As everyone know, there is no such thing as an “illegal” refugee.
There are many stories that the tabloids have brought to public attention to make life more difficult for disadvantaged minorities. One of these reporters is Mika Koskinen, whose demonization of migrants and minorities has found fertile ground thanks to the government of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo.
Below, is an interview where he paints with a single brush all refugees during the hysteria of the Oulu sexual assault cases. He is quick to lambast refugees and turning a blind eye to pedophilia of white Finns.
See the video interview (in Finnish) here.
He was recently responsible for getting Salam, a schoolbook for Muslim children taken off the shelf because it taught the wrong things about Islam.
Timo Haapala’s question during a presidential debate is a bad example of how tabloid journalists suck up to prejudiced expectations. Haapala asked the presidential candidate if they would do away with dual citizenship of Russians.
Only Jutta Urpilainen (Social Democratic Party) and Li Anderson (Left Alliance) were opposed to such a plan.