Yle Uutiset will launch a Somali-language news service on September 23, 2024, to cater to the Nordic country’s growing Somali-speaking population, one of its largest immigrant communities. The year-long initiative aims to provide Somali speakers with news in their native language, enhancing their understanding of Finnish society and helping to improve integration.
The news service will be delivered by Somali journalists Wali Hashi and Horio Abdulkadir and will be available on popular social media platforms, including YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Telegram, and TikTok. This effort is part of Yle’s broader strategy to engage with immigrant communities through native-language news, also launching Arabic-language news headed by journalist Esraa Ismaeel.
With approximately 25,000 Somali speakers in Finland as of 2023, they represent the fifth-largest minority group and the largest non-European ethnic minority. Most Somali immigrants are concentrated in the Helsinki region, with 54% living in the capital alone. Yle’s decision to offer Somali-language news comes as Finland’s immigrant population grows, with around 500,000 residents speaking a language other than Finnish, Swedish, or Sami.
“News about these large immigrant communities gives us a more comprehensive view of the increasingly diverse Finnish society,” said Marko Krapu, Yle’s Managing Producer of Multilingual News.
Yle Uutiset will also launch news in Arabic this fall, produced by Esraa Ismaeel. Finland has 40,000 Arabic speakers. Krapu emphasized the importance of native-language news in fostering integration and mutual understanding within Finnish society.
Finland’s national news service says the multilingual news programs will counter disinformation, which has been rampant on social media. The journalists behind the initiative stressed the need for verified information to combat misinformation and support informed decision-making within immigrant communities.
Finland’s Somali population first began arriving in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and like many immigrant groups, has faced challenges such as barriers to employment and social integration. Yle’s Somali-language news service will help address these issues by providing accurate information and reducing language barriers for Somali speakers, particularly older immigrants who may struggle with Finnish-language media.
