Migrant Tales’2015 Hall of Fame of poor journalism will be updated separately. To see other examples of opinionated journalism in Finland about cultural diversity, please go to this link.
The story below was published 10 days ago. Apologies. But it is an important story that highlights why the media continues to paint Islam with a single brush and promote bigotry.
Jan. 8
JSN:n Uimonen: Terrori-iskut kertovat demokratiakäsitysten yhteentörmäyksestä (Helsingin Uutiset)
What was left out? Shortly after the Charlie Hebdo attack Risto Uimonen, the chair of the Council of Mass Media in Finland, stated that what happened in Paris was a clash of civilizations between the West and Islamic world, according to Yle in English. “This is a strong attack on democracy and freedom of speech,” said Uimonen. “It pits two understandings of democracy, western and Islamic, against each other–and they can’t be reconciled.” Just like Saska Saarikoski’s column on the far right and Islamists, Uimonen paints Islam and Muslims with a single brush. There is no difference – in Uimonen’s book – between Saudi Arabia and Malaysia. Painting such a negative and bellicose picture of Islam does not help promote press freedom in Islamic countries.
Helsingin Uutiset is a community paper.