Finland Times

 

Freelance journalist Jari Hanska. Photo – Lehtikuva.

Freelance journalist Jari Hanska has submitted a complaint to the parliamentary ombudsman in relation to the action of the Ministry of the Finance, reported the Journalisti-lehti, a professional magazine for journalists.

 

According to the complaint, the ministry’s executive group decided that Hanska should not be given interviews.

 

The ministry justified the decision on the grounds that Hanska had breached good journalistic practice years earlier in connection to interviews conducted.

 

Hanska decided to submit the complaint because he wants the highest echelon of public service custodians to take a stand on his treatment.

 

“I am not doing this for myself, but rather the actions of public servants must be assessed more. They are prominent users of power and their actions must withstand the light of the day. I am also surprised as a journalist that I have been labelled by the claim that I have breached journalistic guidelines,” Hanska told the magazine.

 

The matter aroused fuss last week when it emerged that Hanska was not welcomed to a finance ministry event.