Watchdogs or activists? Meaningfulness of work in Finnish journalism

What happens in newsrooms when audiences no longer find journalism relevant? Or when populist attacks on the media become all the more frequent? When the significance and relevance of journalism is questioned repeatedly, how do journalists feel about their work?

The “Watchdogs or activists? Meaningfulness of work in Finnish journalism” project focuses on these fundamental questions through the concept of meaningful work among Finnish journalists. The qualitatively-oriented project makes use of interviews, the diary method, and observations through shadowing to examine how the changing societal role of journalism is experienced in Finnish newsrooms and among media workers.

The project’s principal investigator is Professor Mikko Villi. Doctoral researchers Minna Koivula and Pinja Päivänen work in the project.

The projects is funded for the years 2023-2025 by the C. V. Åkerlund Media Foundation.