Concentrated media, same content?

The research project examines how media concentration, content homogenization, and changes in editorial practices affect democracy. The project focuses on the press, particularly daily newspapers, which still serve the majority of Finns as an important source of current news.

The project’s objectives are, firstly, to describe and analyse the development and current state of press concentration, and especially how the finances of newspaper companies have evolved with concentration. Secondly, the aim is to analyse the extent to which the contents of newspapers belonging to the same publishing group are uniform both online and in print, and whether content overlap has increased. Thirdly, the goal is to study how group cooperation works and is implemented in the daily life of newspaper editorial offices, and how editorial offices perceive the effects of publishing group control.

The first step of the research is based on statistical and financial statement analysis, using tested economic indicators. The second step consists of quantitative and qualitative content analysis, looking at the printed version and online publication of a total of ten newspapers. In the third step of the research, we turn to the creators of the newspapers, collecting data through newsroom ethnography, surveys, and interviews.

Although the research touches on the entire newspaper publishing industry in Finland, the main focus is on the four largest newspaper groups and one Swedish-language newspaper group (Sanoma Media Finland Oy, Keskisuomalainen Oyj, TS-Yhtymä Oy, Kaleva Oy, and Bonnier News). Together, these companies publish a total of 26 of the country’s 29 daily newspapers and control more than three-quarters of the entire industry’s market.