Finland · Journalism

The occasion is part of a longer Nordic tradition of freedom of the press and public access to government information. When Finland still belonged to the Swedish Empire, a Freedom of the Press Act came into force in 1766, which also regulated access to official documents. One of its advocates was Anders Chydenius, a clergyman and member of the Diet from the territory of present-day Finland. The principle of public access remained a defining element of Finnish administrative culture.

In the 19th century, when Finland was an autonomous Grand Duchy within the Russian Empire, newspapers were at times subject to strict censorship. At the same time, a press developed in both Finnish and Swedish. It contributed to the emergence of a political public sphere and to the formation of national and social movements. After independence in 1917, a diverse media landscape became part of the parliamentary system.

Today, the Finnish Constitution protects both freedom of expression and, in principle, public access to official documents. This enables journalists to scrutinize government action and evaluate information from official sources. In addition to statutory rules, media self-regulation plays a role. The Council for Mass Media in Finland handles complaints and assesses whether journalistic professional principles have been observed; it is not a state court.

The issue was released in the centenary year of the Finnish Journalists’ Union, which was founded in 1921. The union represents people working in journalistic professions and deals, among other things, with working conditions and professional independence. The anniversary explains the timing of the coin’s issue, while the theme was deliberately framed more broadly: the focus is not solely on a professional organization, but on the function of reliable information, public debate, and accountable exercise of power in a democracy. The use of both Finnish official languages also refers to the country’s bilingual public sphere.