Melissa on Freedom of the Press & Social Freedom

The World Press Freedom Index measures the quantity of information a country’s citizens have access to, how legitimate the information is, and what information the government permits the journalists to release.  Finland has assumed the number one ranking on the list for the fourth year in a row.  Finland’s strong belief in individual awareness and practice of a relatively honest government reflect the country’s culture and environment.  Its government deserves credit for the achievement.  It has gone out of its way to not only protect the freedom of the press, but also to enhance it with new technology.  By doing so, the government gives the impression of genuineness, rather than a body that works against the people.  The final outcome is a united nation consisting of well-read and globally aware citizens that trust in their transparent government.

            Newspaper readers and electronic media consumers occupy the majority of the nation’s population.  There is a strong demand for journalism and an even stronger association protecting them – the Union of Journalists.  The union fights for journalists’ copyrights, pay, and working conditions, domestically and internationally.  The logic behind this is that an improved working environment equates to improved journalism.  Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs actually created a website for foreign journalists who require additional resources such as maps, statistics, even the contact information for the members of higher power in government. (The President of Finland’s legitimate e-mail address is provided by the website as well.) 

            The Ministry of Transport and Communications has made it its top priority to discover and release innovative technology to support informing the public.  After all, Finland was the first country to pass laws granting the right of access to broadband connection.  As of 2012, it also began crowd-sourcing laws, allowing citizens to vote on and/or criticize legislation via the Internet.  Although this process was not necessarily revolutionary, it appealed to a larger and younger audience, perhaps one that did not feel as included prior to this system’s installment.  Such is Finland’s ultimate goal: including the entirety of the nation and ensuring that all fears, ideas, and opinions may be expressed in mediums from tradition to innovation.