Social media expert Emmi Nuorgam encourages: ”Do things that are important to you”

Disinformation on the coronavirus has spread rapidly. Emmi Nuorgam, who graduated to Bachelor of Culture and Arts from TAMK and works as a media field entrepreneur and communications expert, leads the Finnish Government’s campaign for supporting social media influencers in spreading responsible information on the coronavirus.

In Nuorgam’s opinion, all who do not follow traditional media or any media in their everyday life are especially susceptible to disinformation. Nuorgam works in an influencer marketing enterprise called Ping Helsinki. Ping Helsinki has noticed in its research that young people rely more on social media influencers than their parents or other authorities.

Some target groups rely more on their peers than journalistic media. Social media influencers’ example is important to prevent spread of disinformation.

“In the campaign, we try to take the right message to those who do not follow the traditional media. We try to package the official message to social media influencers based on how the coronavirus situation touches them and how they can tell about it to their followers,” Nuorgam tells.

For example, there are believable-sounding coronavirus stories on Facebook. People spread the stories in social media as they believe that they help preventing the coronavirus transmission.

“Maybe the strangest claim I have heard is that if you can hold your breath for 10 minutes in the morning, you can avoid the coronavirus,” Nuorgam says.

It is easy to tell about important topics

Nuorgam wants to bring forward important topics in her work as a social media influencer. These topics include dissemination of responsible information and matters related to equality, mental health and appearance norms.

“When the topics are important to me, it is easy to talk about them. Even if I have also faced hate speech because of it.”

Emmi Nuorgam likes to talk about courage. She for example participated in writing an award-winning book called Sankaritarinoita tytöille (Hero stories for girls).

When Nuorgam started her studies at Tampere University of Applied Sciences, social media in its present-day meaning did not exist. As there was no ready path, Nuorgam built her study plan on topics which interested her.

“I studied entrepreneurship, interactive media, content production and project management. I also took courses on photojournalism and application development. I was sure that I can utilise my studies some day.”

Now Nuorgam tells her extensive studies were useful as she works with the very topics she studied.

Think what you are afraid of and find a solution  

Nuorgam hopes that people could work in organisations or projects which make them develop their competence.

“I hope that people would also try things of which they are not quite sure. Of course in the limits of common sense, as for example the coronavirus situation requires us to follow certain rules at the moment.”

Nuorgam encourages people to try many different works.

“It is also worth discussing actively with yourself what values are important to you and what you want to work with. You can also think why you do not work with things you want to and what you are afraid of and solve them.”

According to Nuorgam, no graduate can be lulled into believing that they have learnt everything once and for all.

“For example in my field, it is necessary to develop competence, find new ways of communication and start using new tools all the time.”

Nuorgam founded her company five years ago. At first, she did a lot of practical social media work, educated social media users and made contents for companies. Now the focus in more on expert work.

“I give talks on responsible communication and moderate events.”

Nuorgam tells she usually answers ”yes” to job offers because she is interested in many matters. She works alone a lot but also employs other freelancers in different projects.

“I am not a master of time management as I have a passionate attitude to my work. I am learning to pay attention to my coping and wellbeing. Even if I have a work community in some projects, my work is sometimes really lonely. As an entrepreneur, I am only responsible to myself.”

 Emmi Nuorgam

• Graduated to Bachelor of Culture and Arts from Tampere University of Applied Sciences in 2012
• Communication expert, speaker, educator, host
• Author, journalist, blogger, columnist
• Influencer marketing coach in Ping Helsinki
• Producer of Yle Kioski
• Established her company called Nuorgamin Some ja Sparraus in 2015
• Tampere University’s Gender Studies awarded Nuorgam the Honorary Flora title in 2019
• Interested in visiting restaurants and cooking

Text: Arja Hautala
Photo: Jaakko Saarilampi