{{Short description|Finnish-language daily newspaper published in Tampere, Finland}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}} {{Infobox newspaper | name = Aamulehti | logo = Aamulehti wordmark.svg | image = Aamulehti numero nolla etusivu.png | caption = Front page of first edition (3 December 1881) | type = Daily newspaper | format = Compact | owners = Sanoma | founder = F. V. Jalander | publisher = | editor = | chief_editor = | associate_editor = | managing_editor = | news_editor = | campus_editor = | campus_chief = | opinion_editor = | photo_editor = | seniorstaff = | staff_writers = | founded = {{start date and age|1881}} | political_position = Neutral | language = Finnish | ceased_publication = | relaunched = | headquarters = Nalkala, Tampere | circulation = 114,231 (2013) | sister_newspapers = | ISSN = 0355-6913 | oclc = | website = {{URL|www.aamulehti.fi/}} }} '''''Aamulehti''''' ({{Lit|morning newspaper}}) is a Finnish-language daily newspaper published in Tampere, Finland. Established in 1881 by Finnish patriots in Tampere, the newspaper aimed to bolster the Finnish language and people's identity during Russia's reign over Finland. Throughout the Cold War, ''Aamulehti'' was accused by the Soviet Union of spreading US propaganda, leading to protests from the Soviet Embassy in Helsinki. In the 1980s, the newspaper's parent company acquired and later closed down ''Uusi Suomi''. In 2014, ''Aamulehti'' transitioned from broadsheet to tabloid format.
Until 1992, the newspaper aligned with the National Coalition Party, but it is no longer politically affiliated. Ownership shifted from Aamulehti Corporation to Alma Media in 2003. In 2020, Sanoma corporation acquired Alma Media, thereby assuming ownership of ''Aamulehti''. ''Aamulehti'''s content includes regular features and supplements like "Moro" for Tampere's culture, "Valo" for entertainment, and "Asiat" and "Ihmiset" for Sunday readers. The newspaper also explores journalism innovation regularly.
Circulation-wise, ''Aamulehti'''s growth was notable, peaking in 2008 when it consistently ranked among Finland's top newspapers. However, circulation figures have varied over time. By 2014, it held the second-largest circulation in Finland. The online version also attracts significant traffic, making it one of the most visited websites in the country by 2010.
==History and profile== ''Aamulehti'' was founded in 1881<ref name=ain>{{cite journal|first=Antti|last=Ainamo|title=Between West and East: A Social History of Business Journalism in Cold War Finland|journal=Human Relations|date=May 2006|volume=59|issue=5|url=https://helda.helsinki.fi/bitstream/handle/10227/397/HR%2cAinamo%2cTienari%26Vaara%2c2006.pdf?sequence=3|doi=10.1177/0018726706066550|pages=611–636|hdl=10227/397|hdl-access=free}}</ref><ref name="History">{{cite web|title=History|url=http://www.almamedia.com/about-us/history/|work=Alma Media|access-date=4 March 2015|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150309001417/http://www.almamedia.com/about-us/history/|archive-date=9 March 2015}}</ref> to "improve the position of the Finnish people and the Finnish language" during Russia's rule over Finland.<ref>{{cite book|title=Willing's Press Guide|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RtA3AQAAIAAJ|year=2002|publisher=T. Skinner Directories|page=283}}</ref> The founders were nationalistic Finns in Tampere.<ref name=ain/><ref>{{cite book|first=Georgios|last=Terzis|title=European Media Governance: National and Regional Dimensions|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=68nbtqst-CsC&pg=PA99|year=2007|publisher=Intellect Books|isbn=978-1-84150-192-5|page=99}}</ref>
During the Cold War period ''Aamulehti'' was among the Finnish newspapers which were accused by the Soviet Union of being the instrument of US propaganda, and the Soviet Embassy in Helsinki frequently protested the editors of the paper.<ref>{{cite journal|first=Esko|last=Salminen|title=The Struggle Over Freedom of Speech in the North The Finnish Press Gave Obeisance to Moscow, but did not Succumb to the Kremlin's Propaganda Programme during the Cold War Years 1968-1991|journal=Scandinavian Journal of History|date=1998|volume=23|issue=3–4|page=244|doi=10.1080/03468759850115972}}</ref>
In the 1980s, Aamulehti Corporation acquired the paper ''Uusi Suomi'', which they shut down in 1991.<ref name=ain/> ''Aamulehti'' was published in broadsheet format<ref name=kaa3/> until April 2014 when the paper switched to tabloid format.<ref name="History"/><ref>{{cite web|title=From Broadsheet to Tabloid|url=http://www.hssaatio.fi/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/tabtiivis-eng.pdf|website=University of Tampere|access-date=19 December 2014|date=1 January 2014}}</ref> Matti Apunen was the editor-in-chief of the paper until 2010.<ref>{{cite journal|first=Heikki|last=Hellman|title=From aesthetes to reporters: The paradigm shift in arts journalism in Finland|journal=Journalism|date=2011|volume=13|issue=6|doi=10.1177/1464884911431382|pages=783–801|url=https://trepo.tuni.fi/handle/10024/100493}}</ref> The paper is based in Tampere and serves the Pirkanmaa region.<ref>{{cite web|first=Laura|last=Ruusunoksa|title=Public Journalism and Public Sphere(s)|url=http://www15.uta.fi/arkisto/tacs/papers0506/ruusunoksa.pdf|work=University of Tampere|access-date=10 February 2015|format=Conference paper|date=3 May 2006|archive-date=10 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150210212535/http://www15.uta.fi/arkisto/tacs/papers0506/ruusunoksa.pdf}}</ref>
Until 1992 the paper aligned itself with the National Coalition Party,<ref name=Cook2001/><ref>{{cite web|first=Raimo|last=Salokangas|title=From Political to National, Regional and Local |url=http://web.iaincirebon.ac.id/ebook/moon/LocalMatters/31_salokangas.pdf|work=Cirebon|access-date=14 December 2014|format=Book chapter|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141214172635/http://web.iaincirebon.ac.id/ebook/moon/LocalMatters/31_salokangas.pdf|archive-date=14 December 2014}}</ref> but it no longer has an official connection to any political party.
Aamulehti Corporation was the owner of ''Aamulehti''<ref>{{cite news|title=Recent Mergers And Acquisitions in Finland - Aamulehti And MTV Merge To Form Media Giant|url=http://www.mondaq.com/x/5855/Project+Finance+PPP+PFI/Recent+Mergers+And+Acquisitions+In+Finland+Aamulehti+And+MTV+Merge+To+Form+Media+Giant|access-date=20 January 2015|work=Mondaq|date=8 May 1997}}</ref> until 2003 when the paper was acquired by Alma Media, a large media corporation in Finland, for a reported 460 million euros.<ref name="WurffLauf2005">{{cite book|first1=R.|last1=van der Wurff|first2=Edmund|last2=Lauf|title=Print And Online Newspapers in Europe: A Comparative Analysis in 16 Countries|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yoSbUIqgPSMC&pg=PA124|year=2005|publisher=Het Spinhuis|isbn=978-90-5589-238-9|page=124}}</ref> In 2020, the Sanoma corporation acquired Alma Media, and thus, also ''Aamulehti''.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sanoma acquires its rival Alma Media Publishing|url=https://www.foreigner.fi/articulo/business/sanoma-acquires-alma-media-publishing/20200211161230004286.html|date=11 February 2020|website=Foreigner.fi}}</ref>
Since 2006 ''Aamulehti'' has published four weekly supplements —: ''Moro'' (meaning "Hi" in the dialect of the Tampere region, and devoted to the culture of Tampere) on Thursday, the entertainment-centred ''Valo'' ({{Lit|Light}}) published on Friday, as well as both ''Asiat'' ({{Lit|Matters}}) and ''Ihmiset'' ({{Lit|People}}) on Sunday. The paper covers innovation journalism at least once a month.<ref>{{cite journal|first=Antti|last=Ainamo|title=Innovation Journalism for Bridging the Gap Between Technology and Commercialization|journal=Innovation Journalism|date=29 May 2006|volume=3|issue=4|citeseerx = 10.1.1.124.6596 }}</ref>
==Circulation== [[File:Aamulehden talo, Hallituskatu 14, Tampere.jpg|thumb|An office building of ''Aamulehti'' in the Nalkala district]] Peaking in 2008, ''Aamulehti'' grew steadily, regularly reporting the third-highest newspaper circulation numbers in Finland.<ref>{{cite web|title=Media pluralism in the Member States of the European Union|url=http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/media_taskforce/doc/pluralism/media_pluralism_swp_en.pdf|publisher=Commission of the European Communities|access-date=27 March 2015|location=Brussels|date=16 January 2007}}</ref> The circulation was 135,194 copies in 1993,<ref name="Cook2001">{{cite book|first=Bernard A.|last=Cook|title=Europe Since 1945: An Encyclopedia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ox_gXq2jpdYC&pg=PA384|year=2001|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-0-8153-4057-7|page=384}}</ref> reaching 135,478 copies in 2001.<ref>{{cite book|first1=Mary|last1=Kelly|first2=Gianpietro|last2=Mazzoleni|first3=Denis|last3=McQuail|title=The Media in Europe: The Euromedia Handbook|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0moFhDLjTiwC&pg=PA62|year=2004|publisher=SAGE Publications|isbn=978-0-7619-4132-3|page=62}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=World Press Trends|url=http://www.wan-press.org/ecrire/upload/wpt2004.pdf|work=World Association of Newspapers|access-date=8 February 2015|location=Paris|date=2004}}</ref> By 2004 the paper had an average daily circulation of 136,028 copies<ref name=olli>{{cite web|first=Olli|last=Nurmi|title=Colour quality control – The Finnish example|url=http://virtual.vtt.fi/virtual/proj2/managing_quality/printcert_fin.pdf|publisher=VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland|access-date=19 December 2014|date=11 October 2004}}</ref> per day and 140,802 copies on Sundays, with an estimated readership of 329,000.<ref name=olli/> ''Aamulehti''{{'}}s circulation was 136,743 copies in 2005;<ref name=kaa3>{{cite journal|first=Kaarina|last=Nikunen|title=Losing my profession: Age, experience and expertise in the changing newsrooms|journal=Journalism|year=2013|url=http://www.uta.fi/cmt/en/research/comet/projects/completed/lamaeng/Losing%20my%20profession.full.pdf|access-date=10 February 2015|publisher=Sage Publications|doi=10.1177/1464884913508610|volume=15|issue=7|pages=868–888}}</ref><ref name=osf>{{cite web|first1=Sampsa|last1=Saikkonen|first2=Paula|last2=Häkämies|title=Mapping Digital Media:Finland|url=http://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/sites/default/files/mapping-digital-media-finland-20140214.pdf|work=Open Society Foundations|access-date=23 April 2015|format=Report|date=5 January 2014}}</ref> 138,258 copies (2006);<ref>{{cite web|title=Top ten daily newspapers by circulation 2006|url=http://www.nordicom.gu.se/sites/default/files/medieforskning-statistik/1127_1060_topten_dailies_2006.xls|website=Nordicom|access-date=8 March 2015}}</ref> 139,165 copies (2007)<ref name=kaa3/><ref>{{cite web|first=Eva|last=Harrie|title=The Nordic Media Market|url=http://www.nordicom.gu.se/sites/default/files/publikationer-hela-pdf/nmt09_001-194.pdf|website=Nordicom|access-date=7 March 2015|date=3 July 2009}}</ref> — reaching a high-water mark of 139,130 copies in 2008, then declining to 135,293 copies in 2009;<ref name=ifabc>{{cite web|title=National newspapers total circulation|url=http://www.ifabc.org/site/assets/media/National-Newspapers_total-circulation_IFABC_09-07-12.xls|publisher=International Federation of Audit Bureaux of Circulations|access-date=5 December 2014|archive-date=6 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141206234846/http://www.ifabc.org/site/assets/media/National-Newspapers_total-circulation_IFABC_09-07-12.xls}}</ref> 131,539 copies (2010); 130,081 copies (2011);<ref name=ifabc/> and 114,231 copies in 2013.<ref>{{cite web|title=Circulation Statistics 2013|url=http://mediaauditfinland.fi/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Circulations2013.pdf|publisher=Media Audit Finland|access-date=12 February 2015|date=23 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170329225311/http://mediaauditfinland.fi/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Circulations2013.pdf|archive-date=29 March 2017}}</ref>
By 2014 ''Aamulehti'' had Finland's second-largest circulation and had the fifth-largest estimated readership.<ref>{{cite journal|first=Sanna|last=Koskinen |display-authors=etal |title=Media portrayal of older people as illustrated in Finnish newspapers|journal=International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being|date=2014|volume=9|article-number=25304 |url=http://www.ijqhw.net/index.php/qhw/article/view/25304/35902|access-date=13 December 2014|doi=10.3402/qhw.v9.25304|pmid=25261872 |pmc=4176674}}</ref> In 2010, with 262,947 weekly visitors, the online version of ''Aamulehti'' was the twenty-third most visited website in Finland.<ref>{{cite web|first1=Kari|last1=Karppinen|first2=Hannu|last2=Nieminen|first3=Anna-Laura|last3=Markkanen|title=High Professional Ethos in a Small, Concentrated Media Market|url=http://blogs.helsinki.fi/kekarppi/files/2014/01/05FINLANDkorr1.pdf|work=Blogipalvelut|access-date=29 December 2014|date=2014}}</ref>
==Controversies== Aamulehti deleted 551 stories written by a long time reporter Matti Kuusela. The stories were deleted after Kuusela admitted in his memoir that he had made up parts of his writings over the years.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Hankaniemi|first1=Anu Leena|last2=Palomaa|first2=Antti|date=22 March 2024|title=Matti Kuusela Ylelle: En arvannut, että minua ruvetaan syyttämään – myönsi keksineensä juttuihinsa kohtauksia |url=https://yle.fi/a/74-20080515 |access-date=28 May 2024|website=Yle Uutiset|language=fi}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=22 March 2024|title=Aamulehti poistaa 551 toimittaja Matti Kuuselan juttua verkosta |url=https://www.aamulehti.fi/uutiset/art-2000010312503.html |access-date=28 May 2024|website=Aamulehti|language=fi}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Kukkonen|first=Laura|date=23 April 2024|title=The Finnish Fabulist |url=https://www.cjr.org/analysis/the-finnish-fabulist.php |access-date=28 May 2024|website=Columbia Journalism Review}}</ref>
==See also== * ''Tamperelainen''
==References== {{Reflist|33em}}
==External links== * {{official website|http://www.aamulehti.fi/}} * {{commons category-inline}}
Category:1881 establishments in Finland Category:Finnish news websites Category:Finnish-language newspapers Category:Mass media in Tampere Category:Daily newspapers published in Finland Category:Newspapers established in 1881