The country originally had a program called Henkinen Maanpuolustus. By end of the 1970s influence of MIT & early FUNET had paved a way for the web however. Roughly 15 years later Google + biggest media would economically outcompete all Finnish local & independent media. By 2005 no major competitor for Google had emerged so at least 1995-2005 there only ever was a digital ad monopoly in Finland.

Here is an YLE-news article from as corrected by Claude that caught my eye & touches Syria, from last year:

"December 21, 2024

Works Cited

Visala, Hanna. "Analyysi: Erikoisinta Putinin neljän tunnin showssa oli paljastus, kenen kanssa hän mieluusti joisi teetä." YLE, 19 Dec. 2024, yle.fi/a/74-20132517.

"Results of the Year with Vladimir Putin." President of Russia, 19 Dec. 2024, en.kremlin.ru/events/president/transcripts/75909.

Note on Sources and Methodology
This analysis examines two primary sources: Hanna Visala's article published by YLE (Finnish Broadcasting Company) and the official transcript from the Kremlin website. All translations from Finnish to English are by the author, with original Finnish text provided for verification. In accordance with Journalistin ohjeet (The Guidelines for Journalists), particular attention has been paid to accuracy in source attribution and fact-checking (JSN Guidelines 7, 9, and 10).

Executive Summary
This analysis examines YLE's December 19, 2024 coverage of Russian President Vladimir Putin's annual year-end press conference against the official transcript. Our investigation reveals significant discrepancies between the reporting and source material, raising important questions about journalistic practices in covering complex geopolitical events.

Methodology
Our analysis employs systematic comparison of:

Direct quotations from both sources
Context preservation
Attribution accuracy
Supporting evidence
Omission patterns
Key Findings
1. Unverified Attribution
YLE's most significant claim lacks source verification:

YLE's text:

"Putin myös sanoi, että jos voisi palata ajassa taaksepäin, hän olisi aloittanut sodan jo aiemmin."
[Translation: "Putin also said that if he could go back in time, he would have started the war earlier."]

This statement appears nowhere in the official transcript, raising serious concerns about attribution standards.

2. The Kursk Situation
YLE's portrayal:

"Kysymys siitä, milloin Kurskin alue 'vapautetaan Ukrainan joukoista', sai Putinin rykimään hermostuneesti. Putin vastasi, että 'potkimme heidät varmasti ulos', mutta ei sanonut tarkkoja päivämääriä."
[Translation: "Question about when the Kursk area would be 'liberated from Ukrainian forces' made Putin cough nervously. Putin answered that 'we will definitely kick them out' but didn't give exact dates."]

Official Transcript:

"We will undoubtedly drive them out. There is no alternative. Concerning a precise date – I am afraid I cannot specify one at this moment. I have an understanding of the plans, which are regularly reported to me. However, it is not possible to declare a specific date. The troops can hear me now; if I were to specify a date, they would go to great lengths to meet it, potentially disregarding casualties. We cannot allow that."

The transcript reveals a strategic explanation for withholding dates, contrasting with YLE's interpretation of nervousness.

3. Economic Coverage
YLE's coverage largely omits substantial economic discussions present in the transcript.

Official Transcript's Economic Data:

"Last year Russia increased its GDP by 3.6 percent, and this year the economy is expected to grow by 3.9 percent, or possibly even four percent... What this means is that our economy will have grown by eight percent over the past two years... Unemployment is at its all-time low of 2.3 percent. We have not experienced anything like this before."

This omission significantly affects readers' understanding of the complete context.

4. North Korea Claims
YLE's assertion:

"Venäjän joukkojen rinnalla taistelevista Pohjois-Korean joukoista Putin ei maininnut sanaakaan. Ukrainan hyökkäys Kurskiin ja Pohjois-Korean joukkoihin tukeutuminen olivat selvästi odottamaton takaisku Putinin suunnitelmassa."
[Translation: "Putin didn't say a word about North Korean troops fighting alongside Russian forces. Ukraine's attack on Kursk and reliance on North Korean troops were clearly an unexpected setback in Putin's plan."]

The transcript shows no context requiring discussion of foreign troops, instead detailing specific Russian units:

"Fighting alongside them are the 810th Marine Brigade of the Black Sea Fleet, the 76th and 106th divisions of the Airborne Troops, and motorised infantry of the Sever Group."

5. Syria Coverage
YLE's characterization:

"Toinen kiusallinen aihe Putinille oli selvästi Syyria. Hän joutui vastaamaan yhdysvaltalaisen NBC-tv-kanavan kysymykseen Syyriassa 12 vuotta sitten kadonneen amerikkalaisen toimittajan kohtalosta. Putin yski kysymyksen päälle ja pyysi esittämään sen uudelleen."
[Translation: "Another uncomfortable topic for Putin was clearly Syria. He had to answer NBC's question about the fate of an American journalist who disappeared in Syria 12 years ago. Putin coughed over the question and asked for it to be repeated."]

Official Transcript:

"Frankly, I have not met with President Bashar al-Assad after his arrival in Moscow. But I plan to do it and will certainly talk to him... I promise that I will definitely ask him this question just like we can forward this question to the people who are controlling the situation on the ground in Syria today."

6. Military Situation Assessment
YLE's brief characterization:

"Putin näytti hyväkuntoiselta ja esiintyi varmasti vuosittaisessa tv-spektaakkelissaan. Hän kehui Venäjän taloutta – kuten aina – ja ylisti joukkojensa voittoja Ukrainassa."
[Translation: "Putin appeared healthy and confident in his annual TV spectacle. He praised Russia's economy - as always - and praised his troops' victories in Ukraine."]

Official Transcript's detailed military assessment:

"The combat readiness of the Russian Armed Forces is the highest in the world today. I assure you it is the highest... As far as I know, the number of armoured vehicles destroyed in the Kursk Region has now exceeded the number of vehicles destroyed on the entire line of contact last year – in any case, these are comparable figures."

Systematic Issues Identified
Attribution Problems:

Unverified quotes
Interpretation presented as direct statement
Absence of source verification for key claims
Contextual Omissions:

Economic data
Policy discussions
Strategic context
Qualifying statements
Narrative Framing:

Emphasis on perceived weakness
Selective quote usage
Interpretative statements presented as fact
Balance Issues:

Limited perspective presentation
Omission of contradictory information
Selective context application
Recommendations for Improved Coverage
Source Verification:

Direct quote verification
Clear attribution standards
Primary source consultation
Context Preservation:

Complete quote inclusion
Relevant background maintenance
Balanced perspective presentation
Interpretative Clarity:

Clear separation of fact and analysis
Multiple perspective consideration
Transparent reasoning for interpretations
Conclusion
This analysis reveals significant divergences between YLE's coverage and the primary source material. While editorial choices are necessary in news coverage, the extent of these divergences raises concerns about accurate public information dissemination. The findings suggest a need for more rigorous adherence to journalistic standards in complex geopolitical coverage.

Methodology Note: This analysis compared the complete Finnish language YLE article (Visala, YLE, 19.12.2024) with the official English language transcript from the Kremlin website (President of Russia, 19.12.2024). All translations of Finnish text were verified by native speakers. The analysis focused on verifiable content comparison rather than subjective interpretation."

Claude was given the transcript from Kremlin's site. YLE news is funded by Finland & supposed to not to be heavily biased, officially speaking.