Mimma Lehtovaara

• Position: News Editor for the Finnish News Agency, Finland, Helsinki.
• Date of Fellowship: Michaelmas, Hilary and Trinity
• Sponsor: Helsingin Sanomat Foundation, Finland

My professional career started at the age of nine when I participated in the Children's Day which was organized by the Finnish Broadcasting Company at that time. My first duty was to announce the next radio program in a live show. When I sat on a chair in the studio and the red light turned on I just knew what I would do as I grew up.  And I did.

As a professional I see myself as a news and current affairs journalist above all. The news fascinates and surprises me every day - and it really can change the world in seconds.

I have been working for the News Agency since August 2007. I started there as the head of the domestic news desk and have been a news editor since January 2010.

Previous to my news agency career I worked for the Finnish Broadcasting Company as a news editor for the Regional Radio and Television News in the Helsinki metropolitan area.

Before that I worked as a reporter and producer for the biggest Finnish commercial radio channel and TV channel, called Radio Nova and MTV3.

I study journalism at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland. I have high hopes to finish my degree soon.

Research project:

THE NEWS AGENCY GOES INTERNET

My research project is about the way some news agencies are facing the challenges of change caused by the upheaval of the media and especially the internet.

At present, due to rapidly changing social media and the development of internet journalism, the media are undergoing a period of an unusually intense change.

How can the news agencies keep up with the speed of change and how can the journalistic processes of change at the news agencies be successfully managed?

I believe that a precondition for modern - and successful - management of change in editorial offices is a perception of ‘a new order of the media’ as well as the successful handling by those in charge of all the other numerous demands facing management.