Given the country’s population is approx. 5.6 million and its dominant language is Finnish, Finland maintains a relatively small market but an increasingly concentrated media landscape. News media are diverse, with a strong public broadcaster, Yle, that accounts for nearly half of TV and radio audiences, some privately owned domestic broadcasters, an increasing number of online news outlets, and many regional and local newspapers. Media content in the Swedish and Sámi minority languages is also available.

Most media outlets are completely independent from political parties and politicians, with the exception of the national broadcaster Yle, which is under the supervision of a parliamentary council. The government that came to power in 2023 is pursuing a public broadcasting reform which will lead to significant budgetary cuts. Politicians have no authority to appoint or dismiss journalists to the public broadcaster and attempts to influence content are rare and not tolerated.

Press freedom enjoys strong constitutional guarantees and only a limited number of legal sanctions can be imposed in cases of defamation, extreme hate speech or high treason. The confidentiality of sources is protected by law. However, the 2023 conviction of two reporters on charges of revealing state secrets and a court ruling that imposes taxes on journalists for legal defense provided by their employer has deterred journalists from covering national security issues.

The majority of media outlets are privately owned and the number of media outlets relative to population size is one of highest in the world. The rise of social media has put more financial pressure on traditional outlets, which are subject to greater media concentration, without any specific regulation. The authorities are not allowed to favour a particular media outlet. No cases of corruption of journalists or editors have been reported in recent years.

Despite relative gender parity in society, female journalists are most at risk of online harassment and intimidation. While journalists are rarely subjected to physical violence, the threats they sometimes receive increase the risk of self-censorship. Ethnic minorities are under-represented among journalists, which impacts journalistic work and content diversity.

Journalists can suffer psychological stress as a result of harassment on social media and SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) lawsuits to which the legal system has yet to respond appropriately. Freelance journalists are especially vulnerable, and a support fund created by the Union of Journalists in Finland may compensate for loss of income, pay for psychotherapy and cover other expenses that result from stress related to journalistic work.