The Government has decided to support comprehensive and socially important communications and news operations with discretionary government grants totalling EUR 7 million. The grants are awarded by the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom.
Finnish media sector operators have suffered from major changes in the operating environment. The aim of the discretionary government grants targeted at the media is to support comprehensive and socially important communications, and versatile and diverse news operations. In addition to national media operations, the aim is to ensure adequate regional and local media services and to prevent the emergence of news deserts .
The grant may be awarded for the payroll costs of persons engaged in journalistic work and for freelancers’ fees. Grants can be awarded to news media that have an editor-in-chief and produce their own editorial material. The conditions for awarding the grant are specified in a government decree.
The supplementary budget proposal for 2023 includes a reservation of EUR 7 million for discretionary government grants to support communications and news media.
Traficom acts as the government grant authority that awards the grants, and it is currently establishing the application process. More information on the application process and deadlines will be provided later.
Enquiries
Eliisa Reenpää, Legal Counsel, tel. 029 539 0418, eliisa.reenpaa@traficom.fi