Religion in Finnish Newspapers on an Ordinary Day: Criticism and Support

Abstract

<p>This article examines how three Finnish newspapers covered religion on an ordinary day in the 2010s. The study demonstrates that although religion may not be the primary interest of the media, it is by no means absent from everyday newspaper coverage. National and regional papers as well as freesheets have their own styles and emphases, but the differences in Finnish media are moderate. While coverage of diverse religions is not absent from the journalism – the presence of Islam in the foreign news is particularly notable – the overall coverage of religion in Finnish newspapers on an ordinary day highlights the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, the dominant religious institution. Newspapers provide moderate support for the existing role and status of the dominant church against explicitly secularist views, even when critically examining problems within it.</p>