Laura Saarikoski joins Tampere University as Professor of Practice in Journalism for the academic year 2024–2025

According to Marko Ala-Fossi, the Head of the Communication Sciences Unit in the Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences, Laura Saarikoski stood out among other candidates due to her sustained achievements in leading and developing a large journalistic organisation.  

“This role has been previously held only once by the former editor of a major daily newspaper. Saarikoski is an accomplished journalist whose experience as a foreign correspondent aligns perfectly with the requirements of the professorship,” Ala-Fossi says.   

Laura Saarikoski has occupied a diverse range of journalistic roles. She has worked for Helsingin Sanomat, Finland’s largest subscription newspaper, in various capacities, including editor, managing editor and supervisor. She has also served as a foreign correspondent in the USA and worked as a political journalist. Saarikoski is a distinguished news reporter, feature writer and managing editor. In 2017, her excellent coverage of the US presidential election earned her the prestigious Bonnier Journalist of the Year Award. While in the USA, Saarikoski co-authored a book titled “Trump – A Man Like America” with journalist Saska Saarikoski.   

Laura Saarikoski graduated from Tampere University in 2006. “I am so excited about returning to my alma mater after my tenure as the editor of Helsingin Sanomat! I am not only looking forward to teaching journalism but also to learning from students and experiencing first-hand how they view the world and consume media.”      

Saarikoski has outlined three overarching themes for her year-long appointment as Professor of Practice.   

Students can only change the world if they understand how the world works. My main message to them centres around the strategies for making different forms of journalism financially sustainable. How do we measure the success of a story? How do journalists find a job? What are the skills that employers are looking for?

Laura Saarikoski

“The freedom of the media hinges on financial independence, both on a general and on a personal level. However, achieving independence requires not only a robust revenue model but also a sustainable journalistic identity,” Saarikoski emphasises.  

“As many young people are concerned about coping with work demands in the future, it is important to discuss how journalists can learn to effectively handle, for instance, the pressure and harassment that they may encounter on social media.”  

 “My second key theme addresses the gradual demise of the printed word and the shift towards audio, video and social media. Artificial intelligence is reshaping the media landscape. The current generation of students is at the forefront of this transformation. This raises questions of how we brainstorm story ideas and craft news articles. And what does it take to build a successful audio business? Interesting new audio-based media outlets have recently emerged in Finland, such as Briif and Zetland.”   

The third key theme for Laura Saarikoski concerns the upcoming 2024 presidential election in the USA. “As a former US correspondent who covered the rise of Trump in 2014–2018, my lectures on foreign correspondence will focus on the polarisation that we are seeing both in Finland and the USA and that is fuelled by the media.”  

“I will also aim to encourage students to explore the conflict between a media business that is geared towards providing personally useful information and the escalation of international crises. The world is burning, but the media often resort to navel-gazing. Still, the blame cannot be placed entirely on the media, as people cannot deal with multiple crises simultaneously. The challenge of making distant crises interesting and relevant to Finnish people is a never-ending task for our media.”    

“In addition, I want to maintain regular office hours so students can drop by and receive personal feedback.”   

Troubled by the future of the media industry   
  

“The media industry is facing significant challenges, which is precisely why journalism students should consider the skills they will need in the future world of work. They should also be prepared to pursue multiple careers throughout their lifetime. This is why I want to make students aware of all the career opportunities that are available with a journalism degree and invite different professionals to share their career stories.”      

“First and foremost, journalists need to be interested in what the audience finds important, not just what they themselves deem significant. This refers to both format and content. The current ways of news writing are likely to change in the next decade.”   

“It is also crucial to maintain personal integrity. The difference between journalism and fiction lies in the commitment of journalism to report facts and subject all news stories to a rigorous fact-checking process,” Saarikoski says.    

“I am pleased that the new guidelines for journalists, issued by the Council for Mass Media in Finland, draw a clear line between journalistic and sponsored content. The audience must be able to distinguish sponsored content from independent, editorial content. The new guidelines offer clear directions for making daily editorial decisions, and I can provide my students with practical examples of how these guidelines have been interpreted in newsrooms.”      

Jyrki Vuorinen, Dean of the Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences, is delighted that the position attracted such widespread interest.  

“Laura Saarikoski is our 18th Professor of Practice in Journalism. As the position holder changes annually, they expose our students to a variety of perspectives and professional experiences, bridging the gap between the classroom and the newsroom. Laura Saarikoski possesses a clear vision of what it takes for news media to maintain financial sustainability and for journalists to achieve successful careers. By testing and refining this vision, she will contribute to the development of the journalism courses at Tampere University, helping students to broaden their understanding of the media economy and foster an entrepreneurial mindset,” Vuorinen says.   

The position of a Professor of Practice in Journalism, previously known as a visiting professorship in journalism, was established in 2007. Hannu Kivimäki holds the position in the current academic year (2023–2024). The appointment is limited to one year, and the role is reserved for seasoned professionals who are expected to impart their knowledge and experience to journalism students and enhance teaching and research in journalism at Tampere University.