Get Known. S4 E7 - Stringer and Fixer Mari-Leena Kuosa

In the world of journalism, do you know what a stringer and a fixer are?  In this episode, we had the pleasure of talking with Mari-Leena Kuosa who has been working in this capacity for many years for the New York Times, Voice of America, and many other publications. In fact, one of her stories have even been among the 10 most read articles from the the New York Times. We got the chance to sit down with her to talk about her career in journalism starting in Finnish media as a both a journalist and producer then moving on to international press where she has been part of the reporting teams of many of the stories you have seen in international press coming from Finland.  Mari-Leena explains that  most press work for larger international publishers is actually done in teams that gather information, write and produce it. This is where fixers and stringers come in.  In this episode, Mari-Leena shares her experiences and advice for companies who want to get their stories heard. She talks about some of the interesting crazy days required and even a connection to her career to the heavy metal horror and Eurovision winner Lordi. We talk a lot about the differences and similarities between US and Finnish media and get a bit philosophical about the spread of misinformation.  As she says in the interview, its a big difference when it is much more likely you will run into the country’s president in the bathroom.  We also discuss good pitching and the many other adventures on which her career in journalism has taken her.   Check out Mari-Leena’s LinkedIn profile at  https://www.linkedin.com/in/mari-leena-kuosa/ and some links to other articles she has contributed to: Finland Has Second Thoughts About Giving Free Money to Jobless People - The New York Times Finland Unnerved by Trial of Police Detective on Drug Charges - The New York Times