“In This ‘Post-Truth’ Era, We Have the Greatest Need for Real Journalism”
Mari Karppinen is the U.S. correspondent for MTV News Finland based in New York. She is a video journalist and documentarian, traveling around the United States, filming, producing, and reporting stories. Karppinen recently released the documentary Trumpin Amerikan Tulevaisuus (The Future of Trump’s America), shortlisted for a Finnish Koura award for “best TV documentary.”
She spoke to the AFPC-USA about her experiences as a foreign correspondent and journalism in her home country Finland.
What made you want to become a journalist/foreign correspondent?
I’ve always loved to write and tell stories. Growing up in northern Finland, I came to understand the importance of journalism, how it shaped what my parents talked about at home and more widely in the whole society. Originally I thought I would become a print journalist, but when I got a chance to work at a TV station, I fell in love with the power of storytelling with moving pictures, audio, and TV interviews. And I’ve always loved traveling, seeing the world, and giving voice to people who may not otherwise be heard. At some point, I was traveling so much that my mom said, “Do you always have to go everywhere yourself? Can’t you watch those places on TV like the rest of us?” It still makes me laugh.
How does journalism work in Finland?
Journalism itself works the same way: journalists ask difficult questions, and politicians don’t always like to answer them. But a journalist in Finland is much less likely to be called “fake news” by the highest levels of government than a journalist in the U.S. Finland is ranked one of the best countries for press freedom. For a small country (with a population of about 5.5 million), we have a pretty diverse media field, but there are only two major TV-news channels. My TV channel, MTV3, is the commercial TV channel in Finland, and the other major one is publicly funded. Finnish media is not as polarized as the U.S. media, and Finnish journalists don’t express their own opinions so openly and often as journalists on American TV news networks.
Why did you decide to become a US Correspondent? What's the importance of informing Finland of US news?
Becoming a Foreign Correspondent was my longtime dream. When this position opened, I couldn’t say no! I’d already been going on lots of reporting trips to India, Israel, Ethiopia, Brazil, and around Europe. But being a long-term correspondent gives you a deeper understanding of politics and economics and the culture and everyday life. I have always felt it’s an honor to explain to Finns back home what is happening here in the U.S. and show what it means to their lives. The United States has such an important role globally, and its decisions directly affect even small countries like Finland. Finland is just west of Russia - they share a border - so Finland needs to know what the big powerful countries are doing both in the East and West. Also, Finnish people are very interested in American society, culture, and lifestyle. For example, Donald Trump doesn’t only have supporters here in the U.S - he also has a small group of supporters in Finland.
How has journalism changed over your career?
Journalists are facing more harassment and hate since the beginning of the Trump era. As a gay woman in my 30s who’s frequently visible on TV, I can tell you from my own experience that hatred of women and anti-gay rhetoric has gotten worse.
What advice do you have for journalists starting out in their careers?
Believe in yourself, trust your instincts, but remember to ask for advice and listen to other people. Now, in this ‘post-truth era, we have the greatest need for real journalism! Truth - the real truth - exists, and we journalists need to work harder every day to show that to people because anyone can spread lies through social media. We do our job for the people and the truth; that is the most important thing to remember.