Global crises, technological upheaval, and an increasingly competitive media landscape are challenging the role of journalism. Marjo Heinonen, Executive Director of Vikes, examines how development cooperation in the media sector is responding to these changes.
Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about how we understand the world: the news and the conversations we follow shape our view of the world and our possibilities. We trust that someone has been on the ground, asked the right questions, and reported on what’s happening. But what if a reporter can’t do their job freely?
This is not a hypothetical question; in many parts of the world, it is a daily reality. Climate change, conflicts, and the erosion of democracy are reshaping societies and what we can know about these phenomena. As the media’s scope for action narrows, so does our understanding of the world and possible futures.
Therefore, who produces information and under what conditions is now exceptionally important.
An independent media is the foundation of democracy. It exposes injustices, highlights different perspectives, and enables participation in public discourse. At the same time, the media’s operating environment is becoming more challenging: journalists are being pressured and silenced, the financial foundation is weakening, disinformation is spreading, and artificial intelligence is reshaping editorial practices. These are not isolated phenomena, but part of a broader global trend.
In this situation, Vike’s work is not only timely but essential.
Shared struggles, shared goals
In April 2026, we will launch a new four-year program cycle. This is not merely an administrative continuation, but an opportunity to respond to a changing world in a more systematic and effective manner.
Vikes operates in Finland, Asia, Africa, and Central America in collaboration with local partners. Our work is not a collection of isolated projects, but a global endeavor where we learn across borders. Committed collaboration is the foundation of all our work, as the challenges of journalism—pressure, lack of resources, and security risks—are surprisingly similar across the globe.
The new program is built around five themes: media rights and inclusion, journalism in exile, environmental journalism, peace journalism, and media work that advance disability rights. The goal is to ensure that journalistic work can continue even under pressure, while taking marginalized groups into account.
Freedom of speech, media pluralism and support for democracy as the foundation of all our work—what does that mean in practice?
It means for example, that:
In Nepal, journalists are supported in producing investigative environmental journalism that highlights the impacts of climate change at the local level, exposes corruption, and challenges unjust practices.
In Somalia, journalists—both disabled and abled—are being trained in peace journalism and conflict-sensitive reporting. The goal is to produce journalism that does not reinforce divisions, but rather creates space for understanding and solutions in a society ravaged by civil war.
Journalists working in exile can continue their work in safer conditions, produce cross-border journalism, and maintain contact with audiences who would otherwise have no access to independent information. One concrete example of this is a journalist who was forced to leave their home country due to threats, but who continues their work in exile. They report on the same topics, to the same audiences, and often at even greater risk.
In Finland, we highlight the global state of freedom of speech, we organize discussions and training sessions, and collaborate with journalists, students, and media agents. These encounters bring together experiences from around the world. Through this work, we gain an understanding of why defending a free media is not just a matter of development cooperation, but part of Finland’s social responsibility.
A two-way cooperation and a de-colonial approach guide all of our activities
All of our work is a two-way process. Our partners’ expertise and experience also enrich the Finnish public discourse and deepen the understanding of conflicts, the climate crisis, and the current challenges that free media is facing.
Collaboration driven by local needs, strengthens global awareness of freedom of speech, and the role of the media – not only as a global issue, but also as a domestic responsibility. Individual actions may seem small, but together they build the foundation upon which a free media can survive and thrive.
Our partners around the world are experts, developers, and trailblazers whose work and insights also shape how journalism is practiced and understood more broadly. As expertise becomes more mobile and cross-border learning grows stronger, Finns’ understanding of the world also expands.
Vikes promises its investors a long-term and committed partnership
Funding from the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs ensures the continuity of our work. It provides stability and enables long-term work. Program work requires a strong focus on monitoring, reporting, and the quality of our work. The new program period is not just an opportunity; it is also a commitment to work in an even more thoughtful and impactful way.
But that alone is not enough.
Achieving our goals requires a broader funding base and committed partners. That is why we are actively seeking new domestic and international sources of funding to secure and develop our work.
Vikes needs people and actors from different levels of society who want to support freedom of expression and media development in a long-term and committed manner.
Ultimately, it comes down to a simple yet crucial question: what kind of world do we want to live in?
A world where information flows freely, voices are being heard, and people have the opportunity to understand the reality around them—or a world where information is restricted and perspectives become one-sided?
Marjo Heinonen, executive director
The Foundation for Communication and Development Vikes
