The Finnish News Agency (STT) is cutting almost 90 employees and winding down its news operations next spring. STT says its operations in their current form will end in March. The restructuring negotiations that have now concluded covered 95 permanent employees. According to the company’s current estimate, 89 employees will lose their jobs, 68 of them journalists. In addition, the fixed-term employment contracts or framework agreements of 30 people will end. Only STT’s communications services were excluded from the negotiations that have now concluded. Their operations will continue. “The news is devastating. STT is not just one media company among others. Its role in producing and distributing reliable information in Finland is irreplaceable. I am deeply shocked that the state and the media companies are prepared to let our national news agency fall,” says UJF President Marjaana Varmavuori. “I am sorry for all of STT’s employees. They have worked tirelessly to save the news agency. The UJF will support its members in every way in this situation.” Varmavuori stresses that the end of STT’s operations will mean that Finland is the only country in Western Europe without a national news agency. Most other European countries have their own national news agency. STT is more than just a news wholesaler. It has followed events around the clock on behalf of all news outlets, raised the alarm on major news events, produced verified first-hand information, and kept Finland connected to the international news flow. STT's content has enabled regional and local media in particular to invest in their own local news. Varmavuori says that the phasing down of STT will inevitably undermine the supply of news. “The downsizing of STT will also bring down other media outlets. The government still has the chance to save the national news agency, but now is the last chance to act. We simply cannot afford to end up in a situation where people’s access to reliable information depends on where they live,” says Varmavuori. The UJS has met with representatives of the governing parties and ministries, and has called on the government to take action to save the news agency. Together with a working group comprising media influencers, the union has appealed to politicians to ensure that the Ministry of Transport and Communications appoints an investigator to assess options for securing STT’s future. The review should be carried out as a matter of urgency and should assess various ownership, governance and funding models. “If Finnish politicians are even slightly interested in combating disinformation and information manipulation, the political will to save STT must be found now,” says Marjaana Varmavuori. Avainsanat: Kansainvälinen Marjaana Varmavuori UJF