The boundaries of local ‘journalism’ and ‘communication’ blur (Hagelstein & Zerfass, 2020). New forms of local journalism, information sharing, commercial communications, social media practices, algorithmic media logics, and public relations emerge and intertwine, combining different ideals, practices and characteristics (Jenkins & Graves, 2020). Accordingly, it is less clear how the difference between local journalism, communication or information sharing should be understood (Serazio, 2019). It is also less obvious what ethical principles and code of practice journalism and other forms of communication rely on (e.g. Ikonen, Luoma-aho and Bowen, 2017). In this paper, we examine how media professionals working within local news media in Finland perceive the goals and challenges of their media and journalism ethics. The data gathered includes a survey for local media professionals (2020) and a futures workshop where the survey respondents and representatives of the Finnish local media collaboratively elaborated some of the survey’s main results (2021). 

The study shows that for the chief editors, the boundary between journalism and other forms of communication is clear in their own media but more indistinct in other media. They consider the line between journalism and other communications as far from clear for audiences, officials, policy makers or business representatives. The confusion regarding the boundaries of journalism is seen becoming more severe in the coming years as local communications become more professional and increasingly borrow practices from professional journalism. The survey respondents anticipate the relationship between local journalism and communications to evolve along three scenario outlines: i) Journalism on the sidelines – Local journalism continues to wither due to the eroding business models and the intense competition from other content producers; ii) Different fields, different rules – Local journalism and communications diverge and find their own niches in the news ecology; iii) Everything is just content – Local journalism finds financial sustainability by embracing the practices of commercial communications. The second scenario is the only one where local journalism will preserve its economic sustainability and journalistic integrity. The survey respondents emphasised that local news has a positive future if it becomes distinct and relevant for the citizens. The futures workshop underlined the importance of integrating journalists better with local communities.