The media in Parliament

The Finnish Parliament is one of the most open in the world. Parliament strives to serve the media actively and to create good working conditions for the media.

Foreign journalists who wish to visit Parliament must have an invitation. A journalist can be invited to Parliament by an interviewee (an MP or parliamentary official) or by the Parliament Communications.

Foreign journalists are subject to general rules concerning visitors, according to which a visitor may not move about in Parliament's facilities without an accompanying person. The accompanying person can be an interviewee or a person authorized by him/her, such as an MP's personal assistant, or an employee of the Parliament Communications. However, visits cannot be arranged during the summer recess of Parliament.

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Guide for visiting journalists

There are two entrances: the southern entrance to the Parliament Building, A door (map), and the entrance to Little Parliament.

The Plenary Hall is the working space of Members of Parliament, and the media can follow, film and take photos of plenary sessions and question times from the press gallery (3rd floor). The Parliament Cafeteria and Hall of State are the other key areas for media work in the Parliament Building. In addition, events of interest to the media are held in Arkadia Hall in the Parliament Building (4th floor), in the press room located in the north wing (B wing) and in the embassy reception area and auditorium in the south wing (A wing).

Committees use the Parliament Building's fourth floor to share information, whereas parliamentary groups use the fifth floor for this purpose. The yellow parlour at the far end of the cafeteria can be used for individual interviews and information sharing. As it is a public space, everyone is asked to be considerate towards other users of the room.

Committee rooms, group rooms and offices can be accessed by invitation only. Media work cannot take place on underground floors or in the corridors of MPs' offices. Furthermore, taking photos at the security check or filming it is not allowed.

In the Little Parliament building the media can use the public facilities on the ground floor, the entrance foyer and the Visitor Centre. Interviews can be conducted in the auditorium foyer, the private function rooms next to the restaurant and the entrance foyer.

Visitors may not enter committee rooms, group rooms or offices without being invited. The media are not allowed to work in underground floors or in the halls outside MPs' offices.

Parliament has a wireless local area network (WLAN) that can be used by the media (see Technical instructions).

The largest numbers of foreign journalists visit Parliament when the Speaker receives international visitors. The International Press Center of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs takes care of accrediting foreign journalists for state visits. Photographers must comply with instructions provided by the Parliament Communications and security personnel on these occasions.

Parliament Communications is also responsible for arranging the programme for foreign journalists covering Speakers' visits.