Journalist Sebastian Dahlström is taking over as editor-in-chief of Nyland Brigade's unit magazine Fanbäraren. With a background at Svenska Yle (the Swedish-language public broadcaster in Finland) and his own production company, he is now looking forward to reconnecting with the brigade where he himself did his military service.
What is your background?
Most of my career I have worked as a news journalist at Svenska Yle, primarily in radio journalism. For the past few years I have run my own production company, where I work as a freelance journalist, graphic designer and illustrator. I hold a Master of Social Sciences degree from the University of Helsinki.
Why did you choose to work in the defence sector?
Nyland Brigade is one of the significant Finland-Swedish institutions, and for decades Fanbäraren has been a window into the brigade's activities, where the Finnish Defence Forces, voluntary defence work and the everyday life of conscripts come together. It is an honour to take charge of this venerable publication.
What made you say yes to the role of editor-in-chief of Fanbäraren?
When I was asked to become editor-in-chief of Fanbäraren, I saw it as a chance to reconnect with Nyland Brigade, where I myself served as a conscript in 2000 and subsequently took part in refresher training exercises. The brigade is located in my hometown of Raseborg (southern Finland) and is an important part of the town. It will be exciting to follow the brigade's activities more closely through Fanbäraren, and I am particularly looking forward to working together with the conscripts who help create part of the magazine's content.
What does your new position involve?
Fanbäraren, which is published four times a year, is funded by the Nyland Brigade Guild (Nylands Brigads Gille). Its content is produced by representatives of the guild, permanent staff at Nyland Brigade, conscripts and the editor-in-chief. My task as editor-in-chief will be both to produce content for the magazine and to coordinate the work ahead of each issue.
What is at the top of your agenda for the next six months?
Getting to grips with the working routines around Fanbäraren and further deepening my understanding of Nyland Brigade's activities. Alongside my work as editor-in-chief, I will also continue with other assignments as a freelance journalist and illustrator.