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Sitra’s survey identifies journalists and the Greens as the leaders of new rural thinking

According to a survey commissioned by Sitra, Finnish confidence in the countryside has strengthened. The meanings attached to rural environments by the Finns and their wishes for a green economy have highlighted the Greens as the second strong "rural party" alongside the Centre Party. The survey reveals that journalists are the leaders of new rural thinking.

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According to a survey commissioned by Sitra, Finnish confidence in the countryside has strengthened. The meanings attached to rural environments by the Finns and their wishes for a green economy have highlighted the Greens as the second strong “rural party” alongside the Centre Party. The survey reveals that journalists are the leaders of new rural thinking. However, a recent analysis by Professor Pertti Alasuutari shows that media coverage on rural matters has substantially decreased.

The survey ordered by Sitra monitors the relationship between Finns and the countryside. Prepared by the financial research staff of Agrifood Research Finland and implemented by Taloustutkimus Oy, the survey was taken by more than 1,600 Finns in February 2011. Sitra implemented the first survey on the theme in the autumn of 2009.

Finns attach positive ideas to the countryside and are also confident that the countryside will continue to grow in importance. Although the identity of journalists is urban, the personal significance of the countryside is higher for them than for the average Finn. The differences between the national and local media are fairly small.

“Not even the journalists from the southern part of the country can be said to have anti-rural attitudes,” says Eeva Hellström, Director of Sitra’s Landmarks Programme.

In his research published today, Professor Pertti Alasuutari has concentrated on the media debate on the countryside. The research data consisted of 784 articles from 2000–2009. In the data, he looked for the Finnish words for the countryside, country people and sparsely populated area in their different forms. During the period under review, there was a substantial decrease in the number of times the countryside was mentioned. Helsingin Sanomat, for example, still had 1,159 rural mentions in 2000, but only 641 in 2009.

The coverage on the countryside is a good match to the meanings Finns have given to the countryside. The amount of traditional rural policy dialogue – where the countryside is considered as a problem – has decreased. The media mainly addresses the countryside through stories and phenomena. According to Alasuutari, this means that rural policy is no longer on the agenda of daily politics.

The survey indicates that Finns find the countryside a very individual concept with many meanings. In their personal lives, people primarily consider the countryside as a resource and a place for recreation. Finns particularly hope for the countryside to have a better availability of organic and locally produced food in the future. Further items on the list of preferences include the countryside being reachable for all, the opportunity to encounter nature, green economy, and versatile entrepreneurship. However, for journalists, said preferences were even more articulated than for Finns in general.

Among the supporters of different parties, those supporting the Centre Party and the Greens have rural preferences which are higher than average. However, the emphasis is different. The key preferences of those supporting the Greens deal with the same things as for average Finns. The key preferences of those supporting the Centre Party concern the appeal of rural environments as well as the development of part-time living in rural areas and remote working possibilities. Regarding practical measures for developing rural areas, those supporting the National Coalition Party have a stronger emphasis on updating the operating methods, such as new ways to implement services, data connections and identifying demand-based business opportunities.

Eeva Hellström says that there seems to be an extensive transition in rural thinking.

“The countryside is targeted by new demand from both individual consumers and global trends. This shows as increased rural optimism. Regardless of their place of residence, Finns see rural environments as providing resources for their good individual life, and look to the green economy for answers to global challenges.

Journalists are the leaders of new rural thinking. In their preferences, the rural environment and green economy are highlighted even more than for average Finns. Despite the preferences, however, the confidence of journalists in the opportunities the countryside offers is lower than that of average Finns.

Further information

Eeva Hellström, Director, Sitra’s Landmarks Programme Phone +358 50 351 2412, firstname.lastname@sitra.fi
Päivi Hirvola, Expert, Communication and Networks, Sitra’s Landmarks Programme Phone +358 40 549 8008, firstname.lastname@sitra.fi

Sitra Reports 50: Maaseudun merkitykset suomalaisessa julkisessa keskustelussa (The Meaning of the Countryside in the Public Debate in Finland) Discourse analysis. Pertti Alasuutari, Eero Alasuutari
(PDF in Finnish) »

A recording of a meeting on 22 March 2011 »
Meeting was led by Jan Erola, where the following people discussed the theme: Antero Mukka, Managing Editor of Helsingin Sanomat, Lauri Kontro, Editor-in-Chief of Maaseudun Tulevaisuus, Riitta Pollari, Content Manager of Sanoma Magazines Finland, Tapani Ruokanen, Editor-in-Chief of Suomen Kuvalehti, Juha Kuisma, environmental author, Pertti Alasuutari, Professor, and Teppo Turkki, Communications Director of Sitra.