Ministry of Transport and Communications to launch preparation of EUR 1.05 million state aid package for Finnish News Agency STT

The Ministry of Transport and Communications published a memorandum on 18 February 2026 on the current state, outlook and measures to boost the competitiveness of the domestic media sector. At the same time, the Ministry of Transport and Communications is launching the preparation of a non-recurring state aid package for the Finnish News Agency STT.

“The Ministry of Transport and Communications is proposing that EUR 1.05 million be allocated to aid for the Finnish News Agency. The goal for this aid is to allow the Finnish News Agency to continue its operations. The aid will be conditional on the company and its owners committing to swift development of the Finnish News Agency’s operations,” said Minister of Transport and Communications Lulu Ranne.

The memorandum is based on a round table discussion held by Minister Ranne in the autumn of 2025. One of the conclusions of the discussion was that the Finnish News Agency’s current situation is a concrete effect of the wider challenges facing the media sector. The ministry concluded that there is still a need for STT's news items, which are seen as reliable and neutral. The Finnish News Agency supports versatile news content and Finland's visibility in international news.

The Finnish News Agency must evolve to ensure it can continue operating. The Ministry of Transport and Communications is launching the preparation of a EUR 1.05 million non-recurring state aid package. The package will support the Finnish News Agency’s operations and its development.

Media sector disruption has had a major impact on news media

The Ministry of Transport and Communications published a memorandum on the current state, outlook and measures to boost the competitiveness of the domestic media sector. The disruption of the media sector has had a major impact on the foundations of news media.

Domestic media companies are now mainly competing with some of the largest companies in the world. People follow a continually expanding selection of information sources. Young people in particular get their news mainly from social media. Competition for consumer attention online is intense. There is still a need for traditional news media, but they have to invest in digitalisation. 

The advertising market in Finland has not seen significant growth since the year 2000. The growth of advertising revenues over the past few years has mainly flowed to multinational digital giants. 

Changes in the media sector have impacted journalism in many ways. Evolving consumer habits and changes in the advertising market have altered the revenue model for media companies. Revenues have dropped sharply for news media, the number of journalists has shrunk and the media sector as a whole has become more concentrated. Distribution costs have risen as volumes have dropped.

The memorandum recognises that the competitiveness of the domestic media sector can be supported through a number of aligned measures. Regulations impacting the operational foundations of the media sector fall under the remit of several ministries. The Ministry of Transport and Communications will begin work to promote the coordination of measures impacting the media sector.

“The media sector is currently facing many challenges. However, the competitiveness of the Finnish media sector cannot be based on significant or long-term aid structures. In these lean times, challenges must be met through cooperation and consensus,” Minister Ranne said.

Next steps

The Ministry of Transport and Communications will launch the preparation of a EUR 1.05 million state aid package for the Finnish News Agency. The memorandum will be used to prepare policy measures and to support efforts to influence EU regulation.

Inquiries:

Requests for interviews with Minister Lulu Ranne:
Kasperi Lähteenmäki, Special Adviser, tel. +358 295 342 039, [email protected]

Eero Salojärvi, Senior Specialist, tel. +358 295 342 123, [email protected]