Team Reindeer

31 August, 2011
By Sian Lewis (Great Britain)
Foreign Correspondents' Programme (FCP)
in Finland in August 2011

White water rafting does not involve the most attractive outfit in the world. Over your normal clothes go thick rubber dungarees, a coat of the same shiny blue material, wellington boots a few sizes too big, a lifejacket so well padded you can perform sumo wrestler moves on friends worry free, and, finally, a helmet strapped under your chin that immediately makes your scalp sweat. As soon as you are dressed like this, all you can think about is how much to now need to pee.

FCP didn't care, though, as we looked out over the Kuusamo river, our rafts ready and waiting for the twenty of us to embark on our final adventure before leaving Finland. Before us stretched seven rapids for us to conquer, armed only with oars and sisu.

Our boat quickly decided that a team name was needed to rally us together into one body, rowing in harmony, and we became Team Reindeer. I'm not sure it worked, as our ever-patient guides Janne, Andri and Johannes kept up a constant shout of instructions "right side paddle! left side brake! paddle HARDER!" as we approached the rapids, which, I must admit, were less the swirling white waterfalls of death we had all imagined and more just places where the water went a bit faster over shallow rocks.

Water wars

Still, the best was yet to come, as once over the gauntlet of the rapids we drifted down the rest of the river past the most beautiful scenery Finland can offer, and Finland does pretty amazingly in that respect. The endless vista of pine trees reflected in the still water was breathtaking, and the only sign of man's hand on the landscape was the very occasional tiny log cottage or Sami laavu tipi peeking out from a clearing.

Our newfound peace didn't last long, as the three rafts drew abreast and we got down to some serious war. Our humble boats became viking longboats as the three teams got completely soaked, splashing each other desperately, helpless with laughter. We were approaching the log cabin where coffee and lunch were waiting for us, and Team Reindeer didn't need much support from Andri to end the rafting in style - we all stood up, held hands and jumped into the freezing river, spluttering and swimming our way to the shore, rubber boots and all, to dry out by the fire.

Sian Lewis
Great Britain

30 August, 2011
By Daniela Späth (Germany)
Foreign Correspondents' Programme (FCP)
in Finland in August 2011

On my media work placement day I had the chance to visit the Finnish news editorial on Channel Four called Nelosen uutiset (www.nelonen.fi). Even though I have been visiting many different broadcasting stations in my country and in the United States, it was nevertheless interesting for me to see how this news editorial works. I was lucky enough to be able to follow a reporter doing a story about the so-called “drop-outs”, these kids in Finnish society that drop out of school and have difficulties to find a job afterwards.

Together with a camera man we visited a center for drop-out kids where they can produce wooden furniture and where they get a little salary for that. After we interviewed one of these drop-out kids, we rushed to the Ministry of the Interior where a new report on new measurements concerning drop-out kids was published by the Minister of the Interior. Done that – we rushed back to the studio and started cutting the video material.

Here it was interesting to notice that the camera man was at the same time the editor. In the broadcasting stations where I worked for, like ZDF or ARD, every work was split among different people: There was one reporter, one person for the camera, one for the sound and one for the editing. At Nelosen uutiset there were only two persons doing the same job. The team of Nelosen uutiset believes that the results of using the camera man as an editor at the same time are better than employing a different editor that has not seen the pictures before and does not know the news story. I agree, this could be one reason. Nevertheless I assume that - considering that Nelosen uutiset is privately owned, they will have to cut down costs and will not be able to employ more staff to split work like bigger state owned broadcasting stations would do. Does this mean a loss in quality? I can’t tell for sure – I guess it is among the viewers to decide that.
 

30 August, 2011
By Sarah Baldiserra (San Marino)
Foreign Correspondents' Programme (FCP)
in Finland in August 2011

White water drafting

There is a place where shamanic spells and water sports meet. In the forest where centuries ago, witches cast spells, a river is flowing. Now the witches are gone and have left only graves and drums for us to see, but their magic is still there. It is in the birch leaves fluttering in the wind and in the sunlight that never stops dancing on the water surface. How can the reflection of the sun shine more than the sun itself? It can in Kitkajärvi, the biggest spring of whole Europe: eighty kilometers of water and peaceful magic where people can experience white water rafting, guided by experts. Not even the sound of a boat engine can take the tranquility away from the lake. Only ducks sometimes fly away, surprised to hear a noise which doesn’t come from nature. Ducks and fish seem to be the only inhabitants of the lake, but if you are really silent you can see reindeer, squirrels and swans. The luckiest encounter of all is the one with Kuukkeli, a 30 centimeters long, grey bird with a back head and brown, soft feathers on its tail. In Finnish culture, Kuukkeli is a symbol of good luck. It used to live all over Finland but it now prefers wild Lapland, although it has no fear of people. When in Lapland it isn’t rare at all to see one of these birds looking for food near a fireplace and eating from people’s hands.

Our journey on Kitkajärvi starts in Käylä, a small village of a few hundred people whose number increases in summertime, due to tourism. In the whole area of Kuusamo there are around 6.000 summer cottages where people from all around the world find peace, fully immersed in nature. The 12 km rafting trip to Juuma has seven obstacles, that is to say, seven rapids. The names of the first two derive from the little Käylä village. The third one is Vääräkoski, which literally means “curve rapid”. After the curve Peurakoski appears: the rapid of the big, wild reindeer. Perhaps the most beautiful spot of all is Saarikoski, the rapid of the island. Indeed, there’s a tiny island on the right side of the river, just a few meters away from the shore. And on the island a tiny, lonely birch tree is growing. Some of its leaves are green, some are yellow, which means that autumn, ruska, is near. But there isn’t very much time to look at the birch tree, because a one meter jump takes the boat further and further away to the most difficult rapid of the whole journey: Harjakoski, a third grade rapid. Its shape resembles the top of a roof, just like its name, Harja. If the names of the first six rapids are easy to decipher, the name of the last rapid, Kelhänkoski, is a mystery because it derives from the Sami languages of the indigenous people of Lapland. Everything in this territory is full of mystery, and white water rafting makes it somehow easier to feel the magic of Lapland.

 

30 August, 2011
By Sarah Baldiserra (San Marino)
Foreign Correspondents' Programme (FCP)
in Finland in August 2011

Sometimes unexpected things happen. Sometimes you expect a certain situation, and it turns out to be the exact opposite. This is what happened on Tuesday, 16th of August 2011, on my “Work Placement Day in the Finnish Media”. It consisted in a visit to YLE Extreme, a Finnish radio station for Swedish-speaking Finns. I thought we were going to talk to journalists, see their workplace, and maybe even take part in their job; a long and very serious day.
 

I couldn’t be more wrong than that! It all started with a meeting of the journalists, in Swedish. Of course Alistair and I didn’t understand anything, or almost, but we understood that the people we were going to spend our day with were very friendly and outgoing and most of all, that they really love their job. It was going to be fun. The YLE Extreme staff is made up of young Swedish speaking Finns who want other Swedish speaking Finns to enjoy their lives. And they do it very well. Everything they do is original, even their way of telling the news. They try to find news that other media don’t talk about, for example, what did the Dalai Lama want to have in his room when he came to Finland?

Not only do they try to entertain young people, but also to inform them about important issues such as sexuality. Every Tuesday during the program Sex & Sånt an expert answers teenagers’ questions about their sexual life and their doubts. This way, they can learn more things and express their feelings anonymously. The program’s speakers think that Finnish society doesn’t teach young people enough about sex, and that teenagers often are too shy to ask teachers or parents questions. That is why YLE Extreme tries to do everything society doesn’t do, and is always ready to help young people.

What surprised me the most about YLE Extreme is the way everything is done: the atmosphere is that of a big family, rather than a workplace. And a very young one: when a member of the staff is 30 years old, he or she is already considered “too old” and usually goes to work for another media thought for older people. This way young Swedish speaking Finns never get tired of listening to YLE Extreme; when they listen to it, they hear themselves.
 

29 August, 2011
By Anna Batasheva (Russia)
Foreign Correspondents' Programme (FCP)
in Finland in August 2011

Right now I'm sitting in the kitchen in the apartment of my friends and drinking coffee. I'm at home, I am in Russia. And it is hard to believe that a few days ago I was in Finland, surrounded by guys from 20 different countries. Even more hard for me to believe that previous weekend I spent as a guest in this Finnish family. It seems for me now that everything was just a dream.

Family weekend

My host family was 50+ couple Leena and Sakari. Leena worked as a journalist for about 25 years (press and TV). Nowadays she works as a Media Coach, coaching big companies to meet the media and other contacts. Sakari is a civil engineer. They welcomed the guests from FCP many times. The family lives 15 minute drive from downtown Helsinki in the city of Espoo. It is really calm place.

Dinner with my host family (Photos: Anna Batasheva)

My family weekend was quiet and peaceful. And I felt myself really lucky - all guys of our FCP-group needed some break in programme, we were extremely tired. You will laugh, but most of all I am grateful to Leena, because she allowed me to sleep!))) But it is not the main, of cause. Thanks to my host family I discovered the modern Finnish Theatre. Friday night we went for a special performance of Kurt Weil´s and Bertolt Brecht´s "The rise and fall of Mahogany". It is a political-satirical opera with a lot of really good music and wonderful act of actors. The performance was in the German language, but it did not prevent me to follow the development of the plot and really enjoy the show.

Saturday we spent talking about life in modern Finland and Russia. We walked along the beach and enjoyed the beautiful sunny day. In the evening we went to the movies - it was a time of Espoo international film festival. I still feel myself lucky because that night I was able to assess the latest film by Woody Allen - "Midnight in Paris". Official distribution of this film has not yet started in Finland and Russia. This is an incredibly bright and a good movie about finding yourself and love. We left the movies in a beautiful and positive mood.

On Sunday I managed to get acquainted with the children of Leena. Her three adult children came for a family dinner . We were also joined by 13-year-old son of Sakari. Delicious food, pleasant company and interesting conversations - what could be better? But after lunch it was time to leave. In the evening I came back at CIMO-house, joined other our guys. Until it became late we told each other how great we spent our family weekend.

One of the main ideas of the "Midnight in Paris" was that each of us has his own "golden age" for living. Someone would feel himself really comfortable in the 19th century, someone would prefer to live life in the early of 20th century. But we can not choose time for living. That means that our "golden age" right here and right now. And I had it all on my family weekend.

With all my heart I thank Leena and Sakari for the time we spent together, for attention and hospitality. Hope to see you again in Russia!

Anna Batasheva
Russia

Uspenski Cathedral, Helsinki (Photo: Francisco Duran)

29 August, 2011
By Francisco de Borja Durán Real (Spain)
Foreign Correspondents' Programme (FCP)
in Finland in August 2011

The world’s most eco-friendly data centre is in Helsinki, hiding in a cave right under the city’s emblematic Orthodox temple.

A passer-by won’t notice; his complete attention will be automatically drawn to the majestic presence of Uspenski Cathedral. Just as the Orthodox monument overlooks Helsinki, Helsinki overlooks what lies under the shrine, and it’s meant to be that way. In the age of information, more than ever, you want to keep your brainpower in the rear-guard.

There are no signs or logos, only an aseptic metal door that leads to the core of the hill where the Cathedral sits, and deeper. Down to 60 metres into the ground. The cave, which served as a bunker during Wold War II, today houses a server room that also produces enough heat to supply for 500 households’ heating demand year round. The surplus heat from the computers is harvested by the energy company Helsingin Energia, proprietor of the premises, and then distributed throughout the city. The computing service, provided by IT firm Academica, treasures countless terabytes of data, both from public and private institutions.

It is funny how these two sanctuaries of solutions, each of its own kind, are located on the very same spot. It is also amusing how the grand temple can only offer the most ethereal answers, while the material information is hidden away in a furtive, underground fissure. Finally, it is only ironic that the former aims at the sky, while the latter points at the centre of the earth.

Francisco de Borja Durán Real
Spain

22 August, 2011
By Clément Beuselinck-Doussin (France)
Foreign Correspondents' Programme (FCP)
in Finland in August 2011

STT-Lehtikuva is the only Finnish news agency (for now) functioning on the same model as AFP, AP or Reuters.

Lehtikuva (logo)

Downtown Helsinki, next to the train station, at the foot of a building shaped in a very 1990's style with its bronze coloured but slightly rusting letters, the intercom whispers: “Third floor”.

It's Tuesday morning, 9.30 am, I am arriving at the rational and normal world of “STT-Lehtikuva”.

Mika Petärson wants to meet me. He is the boss and he spends most of his holidays in southern France. We share some of our tastes in matter of wines or landscapes. Before leaving me in the adorable hands of Merja, from the Foreign news service, he gives me some advice: “Ask as many questions as you want”. Done.

About 140 people work for STT; including selling and producing services. Reporters report on politics, economy, criminal and justice affairs, sport, and so on. Like most of the news agencies in the world, particular care is taken over vocabulary used in crimes and court cases reports in order to not discriminate or stigmatize foreigners and immigrants. Skin colour or ethnic origin is detailed when relevant, says Janne Huuskonen, from the crimes desk. “If police is looking for somebody, then we may give the physical description”, he adds.

STT is a private company owned by the same media organisation who subscribe to the service. Most of the Finnish media subscribe to STT services, which provide stories in Finnish and in Swedish; the rights of the 6% of Swedes living in Finland are respected. STT offers some of its customers a two-minute long news flash. The question of also creating a visual product is debated now around the table.

Originally Lehtikuva was a photo agency. To respond to growing demand for neutral and up-to-date news it turned into a news agency. It has a certain monopoly in Finland, as it is the only agency publishing in Finnish.

But not for long. YLE, the national broadcasting company, is no longer one of its customers and aspires to develop its own news agency.

Clément Beuselinck-Doussin
France

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