“Petteri Orpo made me do this.”

So read the inscription on a park bench where Alexander Stubb, newly nominated as a presidential candidate, posed for a photographer from Iltalehti late last summer. Neither Stubb nor the readers missed the joke. On social media, it sparked widespread amusement.

Another image that garnered significant attention was a photograph of Jussi Halla-aho, newly selected as the Finns Party's presidential candidate, taken by an Aamulehti photographer and published in Helsingin Sanomat. In the shot, Halla-aho, seated among the audience at the party conference, appeared visibly emotional.

The choice of image received heavy criticism on social media. Detractors labelled it unflattering, claiming Halla-aho's flushed cheeks made him look dishevelled. Some even accused the image of being doctored to portray him in a negative light.

It was heartening to see such vigorous debate over photographs. Rightly so—images are a central element of journalism.

In the case of Halla-aho's photograph, however, the criticism is misplaced. The image was not manipulated. In fact, it is a rare gem: a genuine news photo capturing its subject at a pivotal, newsworthy moment.

Today, press photographers spend more time constructing portraits than covering live events. Communication researcher Jenni Mäenpää has highlighted another factor contributing to the endangerment of news photography: the relentless pursuit of speed. 

As journalism increasingly focuses on the present and the future, stories can be written in advance but not photographed in advance. As a result, articles are often illustrated with archive material.

This is a pity, especially in political reporting, where images help convey how a politician delivers their message. Do they appear nervous or enthusiastic? The setting, too, is significant—a party conference venue speaks volumes about the organisation itself.

An archive photo often reflects the image selector's perception of how the subject relates to the news. Politicians' faces are easily deployed like emojis. When Helsingin Sanomat reported in early August that Antti Häkkänen was then the favourite for the National Coalition Party's presidential nomination, Stubb appeared, in the chosen archive photo, to be taken aback by the news.

Social media allows politicians to bypass traditional media not only as gatekeepers of publicity but also as curators of visual narratives. At the same time, images in general are increasingly met with scepticism.

Hanna Weselius, Senior Lecturer in Photography, wrote in her Helsingin Sanomat column about how a figure as iconic as Urho Kekkonen would be unimaginable today:

“No Instagram update could ever achieve the same aura of authenticity as photojournalism from a time when photography and photographers were institutions of truth. If someone were to publish a picture of a president or presidential candidate climbing a Tunisian palm tree, the image would not be considered authentic—and even if it were, the motives for publishing it would be critically scrutinised.” (Translated from Finnish by the author.)

No palm tree was needed this time. A simple news photo of a presidential candidate sitting among the audience was enough to spark suspicion. In Helsingin Sanomat, Halla-aho's photo was soon replaced with another.

If media outlets are unwilling to defend their image choices, one unsettling thought inevitably arises: perhaps those in the industry do not regard photographs as real journalism.

A few years ago I photographed the mayor of Helsinki, Jan Vapaavuori, for a critical article  in Helsingin Sanomat. Due to a reflection in the image, the background seemed to spell “Hellsinki” instead of “Helsinki.”

The image sparked accusations of manipulation in online discussions. The city's communications department contacted the newsroom, and editorial management decided to replace the main image in the online story.

No one deemed it necessary to ask me about the matter. It's hard to imagine a scenario where a journalist would be accused of falsifying quotes, and the publication would resolve the issue by quietly removing the quotes from the article without verification.

This column was originally published in Finnish in Journalisti 2/2024.