[News] In the happiest country in the world, AI helps Iltalehti overcome news avoidance

Finland’s leading digital newspaper Iltalehti, which reaches 2.6 million weekly readers in a country of 5.6 million, is tackling rising news fatigue with an in‑house AI sentiment‑analysis system. Developed by Alma Media’s AI director Timo Kämäräinen, the tool classifies every article by primary tone (positive, neutral, negative) and finer attributes such as analytical, entertaining or inspiring, feeding real‑time dashboards for editors, reporters and headline generators. The data help balance emotional tone, predict headline performance, and guide content strategy toward constructive stories that boost subscription retention. Since its rollout two years ago, Iltalehti has seen steadier growth, higher conversion rates for positive pieces, and longer‑lasting subscribers who entered through hopeful, solution‑focused content. The initiative demonstrates how AI can give journalists insight into the emotional impact of their work without dictating editorial choices.