Established in February 2007, the Finnish Society for Innovation Journalism acts as a link between people interested in innovations, the way they are covered in the media, and how better stories could be written about them.

Each year, the Finnish Society for Innovation Journalism hands out the Innovation Crystal, a Finnish innovation journalism prize awarded for a particularly well-written innovation-related story published during the previous year in Finland.

In addition to organising the annual Innovation Crystal competition, the Society also provides innovation journalism training and organises various events, get-togethers and visits to organisations involved in creating or fostering innovations.

To join the Finnish Society for Innovation Journalism, send an email to hallitus(at)finjo.fi. Membership applications will be handled by the Board of the Society, and all applicants will be informed in due course. For individual members, the membership fee in 2010 is 20 euros. For organisations wishing to join the Society, the sponsor membership fee is 500 euros. (Fees are payable to account 660100-1073253 at Ålandsbanken).

All members of the Finnish Society for Innovation Journalism wishing to attend the meetings of the Board of the Society are welcome to do so.

Innovation Crystal competition 2010

The judge who will choose the winner of the Innovation Crystal 2010 competition in spring 2010 is Jorma Ollila, Chairman of both Nokia and Royal Dutch Shell. The competition is sponsored by the Creative Tampere programme.

This is the fourth time that the Innovation Crystal Award will be handed out, and as always, it will be given to the best innovation-related story published in Finland during the previous year. According to the competition rules, the Innovation Crystal is awarded “to a journalistic representation that gives a particularly skillful account of some innovation-related theme or topic”.

You can participate in the Innovation Crystal 2010 competition by submitting a story or a series of stories published during 2009 in Finland and covering new ideas, new methods or operational procedures, or new interdisciplinary themes. Please feel free to suggest suitable entries or submit your own stories, either in electronic form or in print, by latest 31 January 2010. For more detailed instructions, send an email to hallitus(at)finjo.fi.

Winner of the Innovation Crystal Award 2009: Journalist Jukka Perttu

The Innovation Crystal 2009 prize was awarded to journalist Jukka Perttu of Helsingin Sanomat for a series of stories dealing with energy issues, titled Etevästi energiaa, published during the spring of 2008.

The Innovation Crystal 2009 prize, accompanied by a 3,000 euro cheque, was handed out on 3 April 2009 at Mediapäivät at Marina Congress Center in Helsinki. The prize was sponsored by the Technology Industries of Finland Centennial Foundation, and the winning entry was chosen by professor Yrjö Neuvo.

What is innovation journalism?

If you haven’t come across the term innovation journalism before, you can look it up in Wikipedia, or check the Innovation Journalism Program at Stanford University pages at http://innovationjournalism.org/

The Board in 2009

Jyrki Alkio, Chair, jyrki.alkio(at)gmail.com (Helsinki)
Turo Uskali, turo.uskali(at)jyu.fi (Jyväskylä)
Timo Paukku, timo.paukku(at)hs.fi (Helsinki)
Carl-Gustav Lindén, carlgustavl(at)gmail.com (Helsinki)
Merina Salminen, merina.salminen(at)kauppalehti.fi (Helsinki)
Riitta Niinivaara, riitta.niinivaara(at)tem.fi.com (Helsinki)
Leena Koskenlaakso, leena.koskenlaakso(at)omnea.net (Vantaa)
Vice member Jarmo Salmela, jarmo.salmela(at)gmail.com(Tampere)

The Society’s email address: finjo(at)finjo.fi