The Euro Crisis, Media Coverage, and
Perceptions of Europe within the EU
Report on Finland
Project Description
How has European news coverage portrayed Europe, European institutions, EU members
and the Euro, what does that coverage tell us about Europe, and what are the implications
of the way the sovereign debt and banking crises has been covered and portrayed? These
are the fundamental questions of this European-wide study led by the Reuters Institute for
the Study of Journalism at University of Oxford.
This project explores how the Euro Crisis has been portrayed in media in EU countries and
how differences in coverage and journalistic practices have affected perceptions of the crisis
and Europe. The purpose of the project is to determine how Europeans understand the
challenges facing the Euro, and the workings of the European Union and European Central
Bank, through the news media of their countries. The research is identifying main themes in
coverage, choices of events and personalities covered, the extent and nature of the
coverage and the scope and balance of the opinions expressed. It is seeking to identify
differences among national coverage patterns and to gauge the effect the coverage has on
citizens’ view of the EU and its institutions.
The project was conducted by a coalition of partners in Greece, Italy, Spain, Germany,
Belgium, Poland, Finland and the United Kingdom
University of Helsinki, Communication Research Centre (CRC)
The Finnish study was carried out by the Communication Research Centre (CRC) at the
University of Helsinki. CRC is located in the Department of Social Research and the program
of Media and Communication Studies (http://www.helsinki.fi/crc/en/). The director of team
Finland was the head of CRC, Adjunct Professor Juha Herkman, and the main researcher in
the project was Timo Harjuniemi. The press material was coded by two research assistants
Iiris Lagus and Tapio Ikkala. The Finnish study was funded by the Helsingin Sanomat
Foundation. This report has been put together by Juha Herkman.
Methods
A content analysis using common methods and coding were implemented by the
partners conducting research in the different countries in the project.
4 newspapers in each country were selected for study: the leading financial/business
newspaper, two leading papers representing conservative and liberal views, and the
leading tabloid. In the absence of a tabloid, the leading centrist general circulation
paper was added. This latter accommodation was included to deal with states that
do not have major national tabloids, notably Greece, Italy, and Spain, but have
major papers representing liberal, centrist, and conservative views.
Articles were examined and coded for 26 variables.
Content studied
The research team has identified 11 major developmental periods between 2010 and
2012 and selected coverage beginning 7 days before and ending 7 days after each
major development as the content of the study. These inclusive dates are:










February 4-February 18, 2010—EU summit (February 11-12) related to role of
European governments and IMF in any intervention
April 25-May 9, 2010—pegged to Eurozone members and IMF agreement for
100bn euro intervention for Greece (May 2).
December 9-December 23, 2010—pegged to EU Contract change 16
December
July 25-August 18, 2011--ECB asks Italy for more austerity measures (August
5)
September 28-October 12, 2011--pegged to Greek general strike against
austerity measures (October 5)
October 19-November 2, 2011—pegged to EU Summit boosting stability fund,
extending new aid, and requiring banks to raise new capital (Oct. 26-27).
November 5-November 19, 2011—pegged to Berlusconi resignation/Monti
appointment (Nov. 12-13), includes French austerity measures
November 19-November 30, 2011—pegged to EC Green Paper on stability
bonds and proposal to bring national budgets under EC control (Nov 23)
May 16-June 5, 2012—pegged to EU summit (May 23) to boost growth and
balance austerity, attention on Spain, and UK governmental meetings to
protect UK financial system.
June 18-July 5, 2012—Spain formally requests assistance (June 25), Merkel
calls the Eurobonds “economically wrong and counterproductive,” (June 27),
EU Summit on Debt Crisis (June 28-29)

July 8-July 22, 2012—pegged to Merkel affirmation of need for adherence to
budget targets and European monitoring(July 15)
The selection of these periods was made to focus on periods in which significant
contemporary developments led to significant amounts of coverage, analysis, and
evaluation of involving the topics under investigation. The decision to use this
structured sampling, rather than to sample the entire period of 2010-12, was made
to avoid potentially missing coverage of some of the most significant events.
Sampling before and after these develops also captures coverage not directly related
to events and ensure assessment of weekend editions which have significant and
extended commentary and opinion sections in many nations.
Searching content
Data base searches used the terms EURO and CRISIS, or their national linguistic
equivalents, in order to maintain commonality. The choice of these terms has been
made based on test searches made by all partners that show they gather the largest
number of articles and the desire to remove duplication of articles that may occur if
additional terms are employed. Because of linguistic and database differences the
separate coding using EURO and CRISIS and EUROPE is being employed by the
Spanish team.
The Euro Crisis, Media Coverage, and
Perceptions of Europe within the EU
Report on Finland
This report provides a basic descriptive frequency analysis of the results of the research for
Finland. It is based on a content analysis on four newspapers, including the largest business
daily, Kauppalehti, the largest daily of Finland, Helsingin Sanomat, the most popular
afternoon paper or tabloid, Ilta-Sanomat, and one of the largest regional dailies from the
northern part of Finland, Kaleva. There is no clear distinction between ‘liberal’ and
‘conservative’ papers in Finland, but Helsingin Sanomat has historically profiled itself more
as pro-European Union paper than Kaleva, which has been linked to EU criticism of
countryside. Therefore, in their relation to EU Helsingin Sanomat could perhaps be described
as ‘liberal’ and Kaleva as ‘conservative’.
Number of articles by newspaper
The Finnish sample contained totally 971 stories of which 309 were published in business
paper Kauppalehti, 312 in largest daily Helsingin Sanomat, 228 in regional daily Kaleva and
122 in afternoon paper Ilta-Sanomat. Therefore, the national daily and business papers
published almost 100 more articles than regional paper and about two and half times more
articles than afternoon paper.
Kauppalehti
Helsingin Sanomat
Ilta-Sanomat
Kaleva
Total
Frequency
309
312
228
122
971
Per cent
31,8
32,1
23,5
12,6
100,0
Number of articles in each period
The number of the published articles stabilized after the third period between 80 and 105 in
total. The amounts of articles were quite stable also in separate papers from the fourth
period on. In the first and third periods the number of articles was remarkably smaller, and
in the second period remarkably higher, than in periods from four to eleven. However, the
high amount of articles in the second period can be explained by the exceptionally large
number of published articles in Helsingin Sanomat only – in other papers the amounts of
articles were still quite modest in the second period.
Number of articles in each
period (N=971)
160
140
120
100
80
Period
60
40
20
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Genres of stories
The most popular genres in Finnish papers were news stories and news analyses. These
genres represented both almost 30 per cent of the articles. However, it was difficult to make
difference between two news genres, so it is more reliable to argue that the news genre in
general contained almost 60 per cent of the stories. The second popular genres were
editorials and commentaries, which both represented about 13 per cent of the articles.
News story
News analysis/background
Feature story
Editorial
Opinion/commentary
Interview
Other
Total
Per cent
Frequency
290
287
43
126
128
91
6
971
Per cent
29,9
29,6
4,4
13,0
13,2
9,4
0,6
100,0
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
What was the impetus for stories?
Evidently most of the articles were based on some political event, request, decision or
statement, since almost half of all stories had this kind of impetus. This is, of course, natural
because the sample was based on political key developments of the crisis. However, also
general market development formed a significant impetus for the articles, whereas 15 per
cent of the stories were based on it. One has to notice that almost 30 per cent of the articles
had no explicit impetus.
Event
Request
Decision
Statement
Markets
Other media
Other
No impetus
Total
Per cent
Frequency
195
17
99
152
145
62
16
285
971
Per cent
20,1
1,8
10,2
15,7
14,9
6,4
1,6
29,4
100,0
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
What was the story source?
The most articles were written by the paper’s own staff either in the homeland editorial
office or abroad: about 61 per cent of the articles were included to these categories. Even if
articles based solely on agency newsflashes were rare, almost 20 per cent of the articles
were combinations of newsflashes and paper’s own work. Also experts, such as economists,
wrote more than ten per cent of the articles.
Domestic staff
Foreign staff
Non-staff assistant
Paper and news agency
News agency
Expert writer
Reprint from other media
No affiliation
Other
No source
Total
Per cent
Frequency
432
159
16
187
24
112
25
1
13
2
971
Per cent
44,5
16,4
1,6
19,3
2,5
11,5
2,6
0,1
1,3
0,2
100,0
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
In what sections were articles placed?
The most articles (27.8 per cent) were published in business news sections, but also
editorials and domestic and international news were popular sections. The high number of
stories in ‘other’ category can be explained by the fact that the business paper Kauppalehti
does not have similar sections than other papers, especially dailies. Therefore, almost all
articles in Kauppalehti were published as business news even if they were not titled as such.
Domestic news
International news
Business news
Politics
Editorial/opinion
Culture/society
Euro Crisis special
Supplement
Other
Total
Per cent
Frequency
96
57
270
1
202
3
29
12
301
971
Per cent
9,9
5,9
27,8
0,1
20,8
0,3
3,0
1,2
31,0
100,0
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
What were the sizes of the articles?
Almost 86 per cent of the stories were short, and only about ten per cent of them were
medium size. The result is biased by the coding procedure (counting words) which did not
reflect the Finnish papers very well. If the story size was considered in relation to articles’
relative size in the layout, much more articles would have been coded as medium size.
Per cent
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Short
Medium
What types of sources were quoted?
Long
The leading national ministers, especially the prime minister and minister of finance, were
the most often cited sources in the Finnish articles by 28 per cent of share. Also the
economists, non-elected officials and bankers were popular sources in the articles.
Officials (non-elected)
National ministers
Other political leaders
Bankers/financiers
Economists
Society representatives
Other
None
Total
Frequency
105
272
68
91
138
64
51
182
971
Per cent
10,8
28,0
6,9
9,4
14,2
6,5
5,3
18,9
100,0
Per cent
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
What specific individuals were quoted as sources?
When up to five specific sources were recorded, the most quoted individual in the Finnish
articles was Angela Merkel. She was cited almost in one hundred articles. Also Olli Rehn,
Nicolas Sarkozy and José Barroso were quoted much more often than the others. However,
Merkel was more than twice as popular source as the two last-mentioned.
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
What do the articles indicate is the main fundamental roots of the crisis?
It has to be noticed that almost 70 per cent of the Finnish articles did not mention any
explicit root for the crisis. Therefore, the results here are not very reliable. In those articles
defining the main cause for the crisis, the failed national fiscal and social policies were
clearly the most common explanation with about 14 per cent share. Also the fundamental
problems in the structures of the Euro system as well as failures maid by banks and
financiers were mentioned more often than the other causes.
Structure of the Euro system
National industrial
National fiscal and social
Banks and financing
Political roots
Maastricht’s treaty
European Central Bank
General economics
Other
None
Total
Per cent
Frequency
50
4
136
42
10
7
0
12
39
671
971
Per cent
5,2
0,4
14,1
4,3
1,0
0,7
0,0
1,2
4,0
69,1
100,0
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Who do articles indicate should bear the main responsibility to solve the
problem?
The Finnish papers represent the responsibility of the crisis mostly at the European level:
more than 42 per cent of the articles argued that Euro zone as a group or European Union
were responsible to solve the problems. However, in 13.3 per cent of the articles the
countries with sovereign debt problems were seen as responsible. More than one third of
the articles had no explicit argument about the responsibility.
Debt problem countries
Non-problem countries
Euro zone as a group
European Union
European Central Bank
IMF/World Bank
Banks and lenders
Other
None
Total
Per cent
Frequency
128
2
339
70
45
6
9
46
326
971
Per cent
13,3
0,2
34,9
7,2
4,6
0,6
0,9
4,7
33,6
100,0
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
What do articles indicate should be the main specific mechanism for response
to the crisis?
In the Finnish papers the loans to debt problem countries were seen the main mechanisms
for response to the crisis: about one third of the articles represented these options. It was
quite difficult to separate categories ‘loans without’ and ‘loans with’ supervision from each
other, because even if there was no explicit reference to supervision, the supervision was
usually an implicit assumption behind the discussion. However, more than 43 per cent of the
articles could not be coded to any categories of mechanisms.
Loans without supervision
Loans with supervision
ECB loans
Abatement of loans
Reduce of budget
Fiscal stimulus
Growth policies
Other
None
Total
Per cent
Frequency
161
143
49
28
65
8
27
69
421
971
Per cent
16,6
14,7
5,0
2,9
6,7
0,8
2,8
7,1
43,4
100,0
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
What do the articles indicate should be the primary broader response needed
to the crisis?
More than two third of the articles did not indicate any broader response to the crisis. In
those that represented some suggestions the structural reforms in nations with debt
problems and increasing budget power of the European Union were the most popular
options by little less than then per cent of shares. However, there were also a great number
of the ‘other’ suggestions for responses, mostly the Euro bonds discussed especially in the
business paper Kauppalehti.
More EU budget power
Problem countries drop the
Euro
Non-problem countries drop the
Euro
Structural reforms
Breaking up the Euro zone
Other
None
Total
Per cent
Frequency
86
26
Per cent
8,9
2,7
6
0,6
90
2
93
668
971
9,3
0,2
9,5
68,8
100,0
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
What do articles indicate as the main benefit from the existence of the Euro
currency?
None. Only two per cent of the articles indicated the main benefit from the existence of the
Euro currency.
What country or regions are indicated as main beneficiary of the Euro
currency?
None. See above. Finland was mentioned in seven articles.
What do articles explicitly indicate as the main harmful consequence from the
existence of the Euro currency?
None. Only two per cent of the articles indicated the main harmful consequence from the
existence of the Euro currency.
What country or regions receive the main harm from the Euro as a currency?
None. See above. Finland and EU countries in general were mentioned in four articles.
Who do articles indicate primarily benefit or will benefit (economically or
politically) from the Euro crises?
None. Only four per cent of the articles indicated the main benefit from the Euro crises. The
private economic actors were mentioned in eleven articles.
What country or regions are portrayed as the main beneficiary of the Euro
crisis?
None. Only one and half per cent of the articles indicated the main benefit countries of the
Euro crises. Finland was mentioned in six articles.
Who do the articles indicate primarily suffer or will suffer (economically or
politically) from the Euro crises?
Even though one third of the articles did not indicate any, more than half of the articles
indicated one country or region that primarily suffers from the Euro crisis. Also private
economic actors were thought to suffer from the crisis in 57 and Euro countries populations
in 37 articles.
One country or region
Political and financial authorities
Private economic actors
Population
Other
None
Total
Frequency
495
9
57
37
39
334
971
Per cent
50,9
0,9
5,9
3,8
4,0
34,5
100,0
Per cent
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
One
Political and Private
country or financial
economic
region
authorities
actors
Population
Other
None
What country or region is depicted as primarily suffering the identified
consequences of the Euro crisis?
The Finnish papers represented the crisis mostly as European phenomenon also when they
indicated countries or regions primarily suffering from the crisis. However, almost same
number of articles depicted Greece or Mediterranean region (southern countries) together as
the main sufferers. Also Finland was mentioned in 40 articles.
EU-countries in general
Greece
Southern countries
Finland
171
102
57
40
What are the main geopolitical frames of the articles?
The main geopolitical frame represented in the articles demonstrates that the Finnish press
depicted the crisis mostly in general European level: almost two third of the articles framed
the crisis as European. However, little less than 17 per cent of the articles represented the
crisis primarily as domestic or national problem, and almost ten per cent of the stories
framed the crisis as an event concerning primarily the countries with sovereign debt
problems.
Frequency
164
92
613
10
92
971
Domestic
Foreign
European
Other
None
Total
Per cent
16,9
9,5
63,1
1,0
9,5
100,0
Per cent
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Domestic
Foreign
European
Other
None
What is the main portrayal of European Commission/European
Union/Eurozone institutions?
The role of European Commission, European Union and other Eurozone institutions was
represented central in 31 per cent of the articles. However, at the same time the capacities
of the Eurozone institutions were seen lacking and their actions ineffectual or confused in
about ten per cent of the stories. The majority of the articles did not assess at all Eurozone
institutions explicitly.
Insignificant
Lacking capabilities
Ineffectual or confused
Central
Strong and determined
Other
None
Total
Frequency
4
18
80
303
18
4
544
971
Per cent
0,4
1,9
8,2
31,2
1,9
0,4
56,0
100,0
Per cent
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
What is the main portrayal of European Central Bank?
The European Central Bank was assessed even in fewer articles than European Union’s or
Eurozone institutions, since just little more than 20 per cent of the stories represented some
portrayal of ECB. In these portrayals the ECB was seen as central but also little ineffectual.
18 articles represented that ECB did not act within its legal framework.
Insignificant
Lacking capabilities
Ineffectual or confused
Central
Strong and determined
Acts within legal framework
Acts outside legal framework
Other
None
Total
Per cent
Frequency
8
12
27
128
14
1
18
2
761
971
Per cent
0,8
1,2
2,8
13,2
1,4
0,1
1,9
0,2
78,4
100,0
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
What consequences of the rescue measures are foreseen?
The majority of the articles did not indicate any consequences for the rescue measures:
almost 72 per cent of the articles did not explicitly mention the issue. The only significant
consequence discussed in the Finnish papers was the deepening of the European integration
and transferring the national sovereignty to European institutions.
Deeper integration
Stronger Euro
Euro zone preserved
Breakup of the Euro zone
Failure: dropping countries
Enduring transfer system
Europe vide inflation
Other
None
Total
Per cent
Frequency
108
18
21
26
17
30
10
45
696
971
Per cent
11,0
1,9
2,2
2,7
1,8
3,1
1,0
4,6
71,7
100,0
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
What are the most frequent Metaphors used to describe the crisis?
354 from the total of 971 articles (36.5 per cent) used metaphors in their headlines or
introduction chapters. In 55 articles of those 354 could also be found a secondary metaphor.
The most popular metaphors concerned disease, war or fight, sports and games and
religion. Also metaphors of edge, discipline, blaze and storm were quite popular. The Nordic
specialty were metaphors connected to winter, ice or snow, as in such phrase as ‘The trust
between banks has dived below zero’. Greece was mentioned by name in 54 primary
metaphors, and if such expressions as ‘antiquity’ or ‘Hellenes’ are included, almost 16.5 per
cent of primary metaphors mentioned Greece explicitly. Therefore, the most popular specific
metaphor in the articles was ‘the Greece’s disease’. The next popular countries named in
metaphors were Spain, Germany, Italy and Finland, but they were mentioned explicitly in
the primary metaphors just about ten times.