Kaius Niemi Appointed Chairman of Reporters Without Borders’ Finnish Branch

Posted on February 25, 2024February 27, 2024 by admin

Kaius Nieme, a journalist with significant experience in the field, has been selected as the new chairman of Reporters without Borders organization. This decision was largely influenced by his extensive background and expertise in journalism.

In the press corps, the Finnish branch of the Reporters without Borders organization has announced the appointment of Kaius Niemen, the former editor-in-chief of Helsingin Sanomat, as its new chairman.

The press release emphasizes Nieme’s current role as the vice president of communications company Miltton and his deep-rooted passion for press freedom, both in Finland and globally. Nieme is deeply concerned about the recent shift in the perception of the media’s role as a disseminator of fact-based information.

Niemi, in the press release, expresses his concerns about the ongoing trend of ‘partializing’ independent editorials and journalists’ work, both in Finland and globally. He believes that this trend is an attempt to undermine journalism’s role as a power watchdog by labeling it as a political adversary. He warns that this approach is short-sighted and can seriously undermine the functioning of democracy, which heavily relies on critical journalism.

According to the outgoing chairman, Yrsa Grüne-Luoman, Nieme’s current role in the communications office will not interfere with his new position.

“I see no conflict of interest in this,” Grüne-Luoma tells HS. According to her, Niemi’s extensive journalistic background, leadership experience in a large organization, and his history of taking a stand on value-based issues in his career strongly support his selection for the role.

Grüne-Luoma adds, “Such a combination of skills and experience is rare.”

Niemi has been serving as a board member of the International Press Institute, a global press freedom organization, since 2014. He believes that Finland continues to be regarded as a benchmark for press freedom worldwide.

Niemi, who was named Journalist of the Year in 2002, asserts in the press release that “Trust in professional media is high in Finland. As a result, our example and efforts to strengthen press freedom have a surprisingly broad resonance around the world. Conversely, negative phenomena, such as the smearing of Finnish journalists, also garner international attention”.