Foreign Ministry invites young foreign journalists to spend one month in Finland

Press release 200/2009
31.7.2009

The Ministry for Foreigh Affairs has invited 19 recently graduated journalists or journalism students about to graduate to The Foreign Correspondents' Programme (FCP), a media and training programme organised by the Ministry.

The journalists are on average 23 years old and they come from Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Turkey, Ukraine and the United States.

The course starts on Monday, 3 August, and ends on Friday, 29 August. It aims at making the participants more interested in Finland, creating a positive image of the country and an understanding of it, as well as to raise Finland’s profile. In the long run, the programme is an investment in the media relations of the future. The course is part of the Ministry’s work of public diplomacy which aims at networking with foreign, non-governmental actors.

With the participation of the best Finnish experts, the journalists will be provided with wide-ranging information on the Finnish society, as well as an insight into politics, the Finnish history, economy and culture. The main theme throughout the visit will be environment and environmental protection.

The journalists will be received by the President of the Republic Tarja Halonen at Kultaranta, her summer residence. They will also meet President Martti Ahtisaari and Ministers Alexander Stubb and Paavo Väyrynen. Trips to Turku and Rovaniemi will be included in their course. In addition, the visitors will get to spend a weekend staying with Finnish families around the country. During one month, the journalists will be given a chance to explore on their own such Finnish traditions as the smoke sauna, outdoors dancing with live music, Finnish music and preparing typical Finnish dishes.

The FCP course can be followed through the FCP blog (Link to another website.) in which each participant writes about his/her experiences and impressions of the course.

This year’s course is the 12th organised so far. The first one took place in 1990 and more than 250 foreign journalists have participated to date in the Ministry’s four-week media and training programme.

More information:

First Secretary René Söderman, tel. +358 40 481 9856, [email protected] and Press Assistant Riikka Astala, tel. +358 40 759 7570, [email protected]