No lesbian for “Lapin Kansa”
@ 8:50 pm I always *love* it when Finland gets into international news. Well, this time over the issue was boiling hot domestically and no wonder. The HS international Edition basic description of the events. Basically, a new editor-in-chief Johanna Korhonen, was hired to the Eastern Lapland regional newspaper Lapin Kansa which is published by a big Finnish publishing house Alma Media. And she was fired before she started in her job the reason being given there was a “lack of trust” Well, the lady in question, who has been among other things the editor-in-chief of the newspaper of the Finnish Union of Journalists cried “foul” and stated in a press release she got sacked because she is living in a registered partnership with a woman. The CEO of Alma Media Kai Telanne stated that the reason of course is not that, nothing discriminatory etcetera, but the fact that her partner is active in municipal politics while the editor should be politically nonaligned and the CEO said she had been fired for lying in her job interview, and she is just using the lesbian card.
And everybody thought in the traditional Finnish manner the issue would be brushed under the carpet.
Oops, not quite so… today had the Alma Media board of directors publishing a very curt statement of how they stand behind the CEO and do not want to discuss issues “that do not belong in the public”. Laughing my ass off as Alma Media publishes the worst scandal tabloid Iltalehti…
So what is the opinion - the current editor-in-chief of Lapin Kansa stated that an “while nobody asks what people do in their private lives as long as they keep int the closet an openly gay person would find it difficult to act as the editor-in-chief as the newspaper represents the region”. Well, the region represented nor the newspaper doesn’t wish to be labelled as a redneck bible-belt hickdom it seems. The editors of the Lapin Kansa newspaper have demanded the CEO of Alma Media quits and is removed from the board of Lapin Kansa, The Lapland University’s women studies researchers has started rallying a boycott against Alma Media and its been said people have been canceling their subscriptions. The opinion is still out whether what Korhonen alleges is true - if it is then this is one of the most blatant discrimination cases to pop up.
Legal experts and journalists have come forth stating that personal issues should not be taken up in job interviews, and that as each person is responsible for themselves it is unfair to have some persons job depending on their spouses political activity. The government has stated that the issue should be investigated thoroughly - there was a debate but the government wanted facts as the situation is unclear. Meanwhile the biggest shareholder, a private investor stated that the “publicity is good” and that Alma Media stocks are on the rise. The Nordic newspapers also picked up on the story, especially the Danes as they have also a holding in Alma Media.
Yay! Publicity! It seems that anything that is said or done in this case will cause another crap sandwich to appear in the lunchbox.
EDIT: 3.10 update HS International Edition of the new developments
She also says she was offered 90,000 to 100,000 euros in hush-money if she agreed to resign quietly.
very interesting..
Comment by mimich — Thu, Oct 2nd, 2008 @ 9:12 pm
First school shootings and now this. Welcome to (a poor man’s) America.
Comment by Freeridin' Franklin — Thu, Oct 2nd, 2008 @ 11:09 pm
Embarassing I say. Alma Media just showed what idiots they are. I mean, who doesn’t understand why somebody loves a woman? Every straight guy understand this. We love women. Alma Media doesn’t?
Comment by sam the ham — Thu, Oct 2nd, 2008 @ 11:12 pm
I like inflateable dolls…give me a LAPIN KULTA!
Comment by infinndel the jenkki dogg — Thu, Oct 2nd, 2008 @ 11:55 pm
She lied on the intake interview.
Case closed folks, its a Clinton case all in repeat mode in Finland.
Comment by winter “Yea, Proton Power, now in remission” — Thu, Oct 2nd, 2008 @ 11:58 pm
winter…. how was/is your trip to Suomi!?
Comment by infinndel the jenkki dogg — Fri, Oct 3rd, 2008 @ 12:01 am
nice trip, did the Sauna thing. Bought out Stockmans…Gee why do they have to have a crane on the roof.. it just messes up shopping.
Had raindeer, saw where Phil works? I think….
Comment by winter “Yea, Proton Power, now in remission” — Fri, Oct 3rd, 2008 @ 12:32 am
winter was here? That explains the cold weather lately
Comment by Pave — Fri, Oct 3rd, 2008 @ 3:20 am
Hah..I brought you good weather, no rain, slightly cold…perfect for walking around downtown.
Can’t help you now that I left, but if you want we can fire up the Hummer, and help global warming some.
Comment by winter “Yea, Proton Power, now in remission” — Fri, Oct 3rd, 2008 @ 3:31 am
winter…did you make quick trip to Tallinn!?
Comment by infinndel the jenkki dogg — Fri, Oct 3rd, 2008 @ 3:48 am
Winter, öööhhh… She lied? Like how? I do not know how it is in your country but in ours the reasons Alma Media came up first(gay, politically active partner) are not legal reasons for kickin anybody out from a job. Actually one of the editors in one of their papers has a wife whos been active on municipal politics for years but that did not bother them (right party I guess, center).
Then after somebody told them about the law, they came up with this “she lied” line, which sounds a lot like republican bible toting red neck ignorant style bullshit to me. Actually the boss of Alma Media said all these reasons in an interview in yesterdays Iltasanomat, one at a time. Depending the time. So, it is really embarassing for them. No doubt.
Comment by sam the ham — Fri, Oct 3rd, 2008 @ 8:38 am
I think that what Telanne refers to as “lying” is the failure of Korhonen to correct his presumption that her spouse is MALE. Which, of course, she has no obligation what so ever to do. He also stated that she “should have disclosed the fact that she is living with a woman”, and that her spouse, in addition to being of wrong sex, has political opinions of wrong color (the whole Alma media concern is heavily Keskusta-Kokoomus-oriented). Both requirements are against the law. Case closed.
I found the blabberings of the retiring main editor of Lapin Kansa almost hilarious: one should read it back-to-back with Alma’s statements of their career opportunities web page, ending : “At Alma Media, you will be working in a fair, dynamic environment”.Indeed, if you happen to be heterosexual, white,Center-party voting middle aged christian guy with a housewife with no opinions as a spouse.
I would not like to be the media connection representative of Alma - what a bunch of blabbering idiots they have in management.
Comment by An aunty — Fri, Oct 3rd, 2008 @ 11:35 am
“Both requirements are against the law.” except the little white lie…which leads to the case of a lack of trust, thus no job.
Look folks, you need to fire anyone who would pull such a prank, or you will just get an office of slimy worms, and the resulting productivity that brings,
I say good by lady.
Comment by winter “Yea, Proton Power, now in remission” — Fri, Oct 3rd, 2008 @ 1:20 pm
Fuck big media!! Who cares if she’s lying or not, it’s just fun to see them crash and burn like this!
Comment by Phil — Fri, Oct 3rd, 2008 @ 1:42 pm
“Who cares if she’s lying or not” is so true.
Look if you are lesbian, )Open and in your face lesbian>, then gee disclose it, do the truth thingie, not the hide behind some law thingie.
You would then be surpised at how you will be accepted, for telling the entire truth, and you would get the job, and be successful in that job.
All because you told the entire truth….. geee its that simple.
Comment by winter “Yea, Proton Power, now in remission” — Fri, Oct 3rd, 2008 @ 1:49 pm
http://www.hs.fi/karlsson (3.10.2008)
Comment by Anonymous — Fri, Oct 3rd, 2008 @ 2:21 pm
winter that’s a great ideal, but the truth is - according to Alma Media themselves that is! - that they would never ever hire an openly lesbian editor-in-chief.
The law is there so this attitude might one day change. That’s called progress and the free market solution to this (let companies hire and fire whoever for whatever reason) would be a lot slower and would result in bigger regional differences in culture: liberal cities and conservative rural areas, and then we’d get the kind of culture wars you have in the states.
Comment by Pave — Fri, Oct 3rd, 2008 @ 2:22 pm
Öööh… winter, she was not asked about it in the first place and besides who cares who you are married to? I do not know how it is where you live but in Finland that is your private life. As it should be. Unfortunately this corporate shit (unfortunately again an american corporate model too) is creeping here where your private life is not yours any more but belongs to your employer. That by the way is one definition of slavery.
And about telling the truth, how about the Alma Media chief telling the truth? He’s been telling all kinds of truths in this case. Not too convincing, eh? And by the way, did you tell your employer how many times a week or what kind of sex you prefer with whom? I bet you did not, so…
Comment by sam the ham — Fri, Oct 3rd, 2008 @ 2:43 pm
#16
Comment by Hank W. — Fri, Oct 3rd, 2008 @ 3:01 pm
- that they would never ever hire an openly lesbian editor-in-chief.
…then how does the Lutheran Church get away with shit like that?
Comment by Phil — Fri, Oct 3rd, 2008 @ 4:31 pm
11, she lied. get over it and eat your fat makara with cheese.
Comment by born there — Fri, Oct 3rd, 2008 @ 4:42 pm
Phil, i agree. hahahaha
Comment by born there — Fri, Oct 3rd, 2008 @ 4:43 pm
#17 “…but the truth is - according to Alma Media themselves that is! - that they would never ever hire an openly lesbian editor-in-chief.”
Actually Alma Media isn’t saying that: they’re saying that the problem was that Korhonen lied, but they aren’t really being very forthcoming about the reasons. It’s the soon-to-retire editor of the newspaper who said that Alma Media should have checked her background better, saying that he didn’t want to be succeeded by a lesbian.
It will be really interesting to see how this plays out.
Comment by K. Wilska — Fri, Oct 3rd, 2008 @ 4:45 pm
You got that right Phil!! How the hell church gets away with anything?
Comment by sam the ham — Fri, Oct 3rd, 2008 @ 5:27 pm
” one definition of slavery”
that what we say about your Nanny State……..
Comment by winter “Yea, Proton Power, now in remission” — Fri, Oct 3rd, 2008 @ 9:06 pm
@25: There’s the pot calling the kettle black…
Comment by aet75 — Fri, Oct 3rd, 2008 @ 11:12 pm
What is taking 60% of your wealth mean…..slavery comes to mind as its real close to what slavery was and did to folks. Keeping you under a slave yoke….
It is effective.
Comment by winter “Yea, Proton Power, now in remission” — Sat, Oct 4th, 2008 @ 1:03 am
Winter seems to be one of those ignorants who do not know what he is talking about. Nobody loses 60% of their wealth in Finland and yet we have better social security than you ever had in your country. The highest income tax rate is about 50% but the rich do not get their wealth as salary. I do not know what is in english but is the money they get from stocks of their companies. And for that they pay 28% of taxes. So buahahhaahhahaa Winter. Get the facts right next time when you try to wiggle away from the corporate slave culture that you advocate. By the way, the highest american tax was 91% and that was up untill 1964. And it went under seventy only in the 80’s so look who’s talking buahhahhaahhahhaah! :-DDDDDD
Comment by sam the ham — Sat, Oct 4th, 2008 @ 1:15 am
#28. The 80s was when American Christians discovered that the Bible bits about the money-changers in the temple weren’t really written by God anyway. Then they turned away from Mammon-bashing, and got into gay-bashing and foetus-hugging and making money instead. Which explains a lot about where we are now.
Comment by Anonymous — Sat, Oct 4th, 2008 @ 3:24 am
This person seems like a typical socialist-era whiner. Instead of starting her own company and presenting her ideas to the world on her own terms, she screams out: “I demand that you let me work for YOUR company!”
Unfortunately, America is full of her kind, too. It’s not just lesbians and gays, mind you. Those screams are heard from Muzzies, Christians and probably even Crustaceans.
Everybody wants the security of a parent-child relationship in the form of employment, but as children they want to tell the parent how it goes!
Will personal initiative and entrepreneurism ever be rewarded enough (via tax policy and favorable regulation) so that these conflicts become a relic of the past?
Comment by Jussi — Sat, Oct 4th, 2008 @ 1:27 pm
Sam… your tax rate is published. You should read up. Its 40% plus a 20% vat.
Comment by winter “Yea, Proton Power, now in remission” — Sat, Oct 4th, 2008 @ 3:40 pm
#30 “This person seems like a typical socialist-era whiner. Instead of starting her own company and presenting her ideas to the world on her own terms, she screams out: “I demand that you let me work for YOUR company!””
Actually, she was given the job, and Alma Media reneged on the deal when they found out she was gay, and didn’t even have the balls to admit it. Korhonen showed character by turning down the 100 grand in hush money that they offered her.
If anyone is whining in this one, it’s Alma Media.
Comment by K. Wilska — Sat, Oct 4th, 2008 @ 4:22 pm
Jussi, if somebody had first hired you and then said, sorry, we can’t employ you for some ridiculous reason, wouldn’t you start a fight in a court rather than start your own company?
Doesn’t it matter at all to you that they had already made the decision to hire her? Shouldn’t such a thing count in a society based on entrepreneurship? Maybe you just want everything done as the employers want it, legally or not and screw the employees.
Doesn’t anyone have the right to apply for work at any company? You’re blaming her for them making the decision to employ her and then trying to backtrack in a fashion that makes no sense. At least to me Alma Media has zero credibility after this.
Comment by Helsinkian — Sat, Oct 4th, 2008 @ 4:52 pm
K. Wilska - according to Korhonen herself (the memo she had written was widely published) they did say to her exactly that. Of course she might be lying but I trust her more because of all the dubious reasons Alma Media have given us (of which many are in direct contradiction of the law and their own policies).
Phil - what exactly do you mean by “…then how does the Lutheran Church get away with shit like that”? I don’t think the Church is exempt from the equality laws any more than Alma Media is. If you mean the gay marriage thing it’s not such a clear violation of the law, and I think it’s about to change anyway.
Comment by Pave — Sat, Oct 4th, 2008 @ 6:46 pm
No Helsinkian, none of those things you mentioned would bother me. They should simply be held to whatever contract they signed. At most, they should pay her moving expenses (if there were any), and possibly a few week’s lost wages.
It seems like she got herself hired for this position at a conservative newspaper so that she could then say, “Ha ha, you just hired me, a lesbian, to be your editor-in-chief! Now what are you going to do about it?” I don’t know if that’s accurate, but it seems like something that only a troublemaker would do.
It would be like running for a church committee position, and then declaring, “Oh, by the way, I’m a Satanist” upon being elected. Or visa versa.
Generally, I believe that society should adopt a more entreneurial approach to work - but that entrepreneurism by individuals should be weighted more favorably than big corporations, in the legal and tax sense.
As such, anyone should be able to hire anyone else based on whatever criteria they agree upon. In essence, it would be the same way you hire a plumber or barber or financial specialist. Could any of these sue in court if they felt discriminated against? No, of course not.
Comment by Jussi — Sun, Oct 5th, 2008 @ 3:50 am
Satanists in church positions are not the same thing as lesbians working for Alma Media.
I don’t think anyone expects the editor-in-chief of Lapin Kansa to participate in an anti-gay crusade. A Satanist in the church is supposed to condemn Satanism and thus ends up in a difficult and schizophrenic position.
Neither Keskusta nor Kokoomus has a generally anti-gay agenda that requires support for discrimination from their mouthpieces. It would be a totally different thing for a Republican Party organ in a red state in the US. The anti-gay agenda simply lacks the legitimacy in Finland that it has in places like Alabama or Iran. It is mostly a muslim fundamentalist and extreme right thing here.
Alma Media, after all, said they didn’t fire her because she is a lesbian. They fired her because her partner is a candidate (perhaps for the wrong party) in the municipal elections in Vantaa, an issue of apparently enormous significance for the readers in Rovaniemi.
Comment by Helsinkian — Sun, Oct 5th, 2008 @ 3:17 pm
That is still illegal reason to kick anybpdy out from any job, Helsinkian. And there is the one editor who’s spuse has been in Kemi politics for years. That has never been a problem for Alma Media, so it muts be the wrong party this time. Or gay thing.
Comment by sam the ham — Mon, Oct 6th, 2008 @ 8:03 am
Comment by sam the ham — Mon, Oct 6th, 2008 @ 8:04 am
“was hired to the Eastern Lapland regional newspaper Lapin Kansa”
It’s not actually Eastern. It covers the whole Lapland.
Comment by Lapin Kansa — Thu, Oct 9th, 2008 @ 10:47 pm