Helsinki, October 31, 2026 – The Europe Today: STT, Finland’s national news agency, will discontinue its news and photo services on March 31, 2027, bringing to an end close to 140 years of journalism. The agency’s board approved the closure after concluding restructuring negotiations with staff, and the decision was made public on October 29, 2026.
The shutdown is expected to result in the loss of 89 permanent positions, among them all 68 journalistic roles. A total of 95 permanent employees were included in the negotiations, and around six staff members in non-journalistic functions are expected to be offered continued employment with the company. In addition, roughly 30 fixed-term contracts or framework agreements will be terminated.
The agency first signalled on September 30 that it was weighing a major restructuring that could end its news and photo operations. At the time, the closure was only a proposal, pending talks on its impact on employees. With those talks now complete, the board has formally confirmed the decision.
STT cited sustained financial losses as the primary reason for the closure, together with its inability to attract a sufficiently broad base of owners willing to fund its future development. Previous attempts to stabilise the agency’s finances, including adjustments to staffing and services after Sanoma’s news media ended their use of STT’s services around the start of 2026, did not succeed in restoring its financial footing.
The closure will not affect STT Communication Services, the separate unit that distributes corporate press releases through STT Info. Its seven employees were not part of the restructuring talks, and the company said the unit will continue to operate with no changes to its staff or client relationships.
STT will continue providing its regular news and photo services until the end of March 2027, allowing customers time to reorganise their news operations. The company is also exploring whether its extensive archives and the technology it has been developing can be put to commercial use after its journalistic operations cease.
Established in 1887, STT has long served as a cornerstone of Finland’s news infrastructure, supplying reports, photographs and round-the-clock news coverage to media outlets nationwide. The decision comes just days before November 1, when the agency would have marked 139 years since it began operating in its original form.
Chief Executive Kimmo Laaksonen called the closure a tragedy for Finnish society, adding that the agency would honour its commitments to customers during its remaining months while supporting the employees affected. Board Chairman Petteri Putkiranta acknowledged the agency’s prolonged financial difficulties, describing the outcome as one that no one had wished for.
The Union of Journalists in Finland strongly criticised the decision and called on the government to step in before the closure takes effect. Union President Marjaana Varmavuori warned that losing the national news agency would weaken the production and distribution of reliable information, especially for regional and local media that rely on shared reporting services. The union has urged a swift review of alternative ownership, governance and funding models, arguing that STT’s nationwide coverage and international news links have enabled smaller outlets to focus their resources on local journalism.
Public funding had already become a key issue before the final decision. In its September announcement, STT said the Finnish state was prepared to offer approximately one million euros in one-off support, but noted that even the full amount would fall short of the investment needed to transform its operations, and that the funding process had not been completed.
The closure highlights the growing challenge facing national news agencies across Europe as major clients cut spending and traditional revenue models become unsustainable. For Finland, the impact reaches beyond newsroom job losses, as media organisations that relied on STT will now need to find new ways to source national reporting, photography and international coverage.
