On Wednesday, 23 October, CORDI presented its research design and first results at the University Banquet Hall to some 40 participants, including both academic colleagues, media professionals, and policy-makers.

First, the project leaders  Esa Reunanen and Juha Herkman gave an overview of the project, depicting the aims of the theoretical and empirical work packages, and highlighting CORDI’s unique multi-disciplinary approach that combines legal and social sciences scholarship and the focus on citizen’s rights. (CORDI’s one-page project description can be found here.)

Marko Ala-Fossi presented a critical analysis of the so called “Nordic Media Welfare State” model and showcased how Finland has deviated from it, shifting to an increasingly market-oriented policy-making premises and practices.

Anette Alén-Savikko discussed the new book by the Helsinki Media Policy Research Group, Viestintä kuuluu kaikille (Communication belongs to everyone). The book focuses on operationalizing four core communication rights – access, availability, privacy and dialogue – in the Finnish context. It thus lays the groundwork on CORDI’s basic conceptual-theoretical approach. (More about the approach in English, here.)

Ilmari Hiltunen showcased results from his upcoming PhD dissertation on external pressures and intimidation experienced by Finnish journalists. His findings indicated, among other things, that from the audiences’ perspective, the personal and professional identities of journalists tend to merge, and that crowdsourced online harassment is not only relatively common, but also detrimental to journalists’ work identity and well-being.

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The final presentation was by the advisory board member of CORDI, Philip M. Napoli, James R. Shepley Professor of Public Policy; Professor in the Sanford School of Public Policy; Professor of the International Comparative Studies Program; Associate of the Duke Initiative for Science & Society at Duke University, Docent at the University of Helsinki. His talk Should Communication Rights Vary by Technology? was based on his new book new book, Social Media and Public Interest: Media Regulation in the Disinformation Age. See the slide show here.