View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

Finnish daily puts up 300 billboard posters along Trump and Putin route to Helsinki summit to remind them of ‘importance of free press’

By Sam Forsdick

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin were greeted with almost 300 billboards and posters that bring attention to their “turbulent relations with the press” on their way to meeting in Finland today.

Helsingin Sanomat, Finland’s largest daily newspaper, have taken out the billboards along the route that the presidents of America and Russia will take from Helsinki airport to the summit.

Each features a headline from Helsingin Sanomat articles that the paper hopes will “remind them [Putin and Trump] of the importance of free press as a cornerstone of all democratic societies”.

The headlines include “Trump calls media enemy of the people” and “Putin shuts down Russia’s largest news agency”.

A large screen on the Helsinki Music Centre bears the message: “Mr. President, welcome to the land of the free press”.

Kaius Niemi editor-in-chief of Helsingin Sanomat said: “This is a statement on behalf of critical and high quality journalism.

“As we welcome the presidents to the summit in Finland, we want to remind them of the importance of free press.

Content from our partners
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it
Impress: Regulation, arbitration and complaints resolution

He added: “The media shouldn’t be the lap dog of any president or regime.

“We want to show our support to those colleagues who have to fight in ever toughening circumstances on a daily basis both in the US and Russia.

“Our goal is to raise the topic of the freedom of the press around the world.”

Ahead of today’s summit with Putin, Trump reiterated his view of the press tweeting: “Much of our news media is indeed the enemy of the people.”

Last week Trump described an interview he did with The Sun as “fake news”, before seeming to later backtrack, and refused questions from CNN during a press conference with Theresa May.

Russia is currently ranked 148 on the World Press Freedom Index while the US is 45th.

Despite Finland being ranked fourth, Niemi said: “We need to work harder to ensure press freedom in Finalnd”.

Picture: Reuters/Lehtikuva/Aleksi Tuomola

Topics in this article :

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network