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Journalism of Courage
US President Donald Trump and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin are meeting at a crucial summit in Finland, amid commotion about Russian meddling in US Elections 2016. And as the POTUS arrived in Helsinki for the meeting, largest Finnish newspaper welcomed both leaders making an important point about the freedom of the press. Putting up around 300 billboards, Helsingin Sanomat, reminded the two that they are “in the land of free press”.
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Kaius Niemi, editor-in-chief, shared a photo of one such banner and said hundreds of such reminders have been put up in the city on the routes from the airport to the summit venue. The signboards feature headlines in English and Russian from 2000-2018 detailing the respective leaders’ “turbulent” attitudes toward a free press. Other signs include messages like, “Trump calls media enemy of the people,” and his repetitive attack on news media as fake news.
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Niemi said these were intended to show support for journalists in the US and Russia facing “ever toughening circumstances”, reported the Hill.
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And it was not just the newspaper who took it upon themselves to remind Trump and Putin about concerning issues. “Make human rights great again,” Amnesty International put up a sign in Helsinki train station.
The Human Rights Campaign placed banners on Finland’s Presidential Palace on Sunday criticising Putin’s approach and treatment of Chechnya’s LGBTQ population.
The different banners in Helsinki quickly went viral on social media with people lauding the newspaper and other organisation for their campaigns.
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