Sakari "Saku" Timonen (born 18 December 1957 in
Juuka,
Finland) is a
Finnish blogger, known for his "Uuninpankkopoika" blog. In April 2017 Timonen moved from ''Image'' magazine to ''
Apu
APU or Apu may refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Apu Trilogy'', a series of three Bengali films, directed by Satyajit Ray, with the fictional character Apu Roy, comprising:
** ''Pather Panchali'' (''Song of the Little Road'') (1955), the first ...
'' magazine as a blogger.
[Hän on tämän hetken kärkevin blogisti: Uuninpankkopoikaa ihaillaan ja inhotaan](_blank)
'' Aamulehti''. Accessed on 25 December 2018.
Biography
Timonen was born in Juuka,
Northern Karelia. He has one brother and one sister. His father was a taxi driver and his mother was an accountant.
[Uuninpankkopoika Saku Timonen: "Olen äreä äijä enkä tykkää rasismista"](_blank)
''Kodin Kuvalehti
''Kodin Kuvalehti'' is a Finnish language fortnightly home and women's magazine published in Helsinki, Finland.
History and profile
''Kodin Kuvalehti'' was established by SanomaWSOY in 1967. The magazine is published by Sanoma Magazines Finland. ...
'' 12 January 2017. Accessed on 25 December 2018. After primary school, secondary school and the army, Timonen studied social sciences at the
University of Tampere. In connection with his studies, he worked in summertime at child care in
Vantaa.
After his studies, he worked as an economic secretary in
Maaninka as an economic secretary. After this he moved to the Helsinki capital region working as a youth counsellor and social inspector in the social bureau of the city of Vantaa.
[Sakari Timonen: Omaa tietään kulkeva juristi-blogisti](_blank)
'' Lakimiesuutiset'' 29 April 2014. Accessed on 28 July 2021.
After studying
jurisprudence at the
University of Helsinki and graduating as a Bachelor of Law, Timonen worked as senior inspector at the Bureau of Road and Waterworks Construction from 1989 to 1990 and as deputy city secretary of the city of
Helsinki from 1990 to 1997. After this, he worked as an office manager of the construction board of the city of Helsinki from 1998 to 1999.
In 2000 Timonen returned to his homeland in Juuka to live in his parents' home. His father died of complications from
bypass surgery in 2006, and he has lived together with his mother since then. During his life in Juuka, Timonen has sporadically worked as a lawyer in connection with his blogging.
Politics
Timonen was elected as a member of the municipal council of Juuka as a member of the
Social Democratic Party of Finland
The Social Democratic Party of Finland (SDP, fi, Suomen sosialidemokraattinen puolue ; sv, Finlands socialdemokratiska parti), shortened to the Social Democrats ( fi, link=no, Sosiaalidemokraatit; sv, link=no, Socialdemokrater) and commonly kno ...
in 2012.
[Juukalainen juristi, bloggari ja demari Saku Timonen: "En ole kovin sosiaalinen enkä kovin monen mielestä mukava mies"](_blank)
''Demokraatti
''Demokraatti'' is a Finnish language newspaper and Social Democratic Party organ published daily in Helsinki, Finland.
History and profile
''Demokraatti'' was established in 1895. Its name in the beginning was ''Työmies'' (The Labourer). The ...
'' 22 October 2015. Accessed on 23 May 2016.
Blog
In his blog Timonen deals with problems in Finnish society, such as poverty and matters related to the work life, as well as questions relating to
immigration and
racism.
[Nettihölynpölyä vastustava bloggaava juristi Saku Timonen: Kaksi merkkiä paljastaa huuhaan](_blank)
'' Me Naiset'' 21 September 2015. Accessed on 23 May 2016.[Lautamies erotettiin solvaavien nettikirjoitusten takia](_blank)
''Helsingin Sanomat
''Helsingin Sanomat'', abbreviated ''HS'' and colloquially known as , is the largest subscription newspaper in Finland and the Nordic countries, owned by Sanoma. Except after certain holidays, it is published daily. Its name derives from that of ...
'' 24 March 2016. Accessed on 23 May 2016. He has been especially interested in matters relating to employment and has been a special critic of rehabilitative work activity
and has written about various forms and problems relating to unpaid work.
Timonen started his blog in 2010 and has used it to correct false information about alleged social benefits given to immigrants.
[Sakari Timosen blogi on yksi Suomen luetuimmista - "Kun jokin asia uutisissa jää vaivaamaan, selvitän sen"](_blank)
'' Karjalainen'' 25 December 2015. Accessed on 23 May 2016. In his blog, Timonen has also written about false news websites such as ''
MV-lehti'' and ''
Magneettimedia'', correcting false information published on the websites.
Since May 2016 Timonen's blog posts have also been translated to
Swedish
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
.
According to Timonen, his blog has a "basic negative point of view", as he only writes about things that are not in order in Finland. Usually Timonen writes about things he can connect with jurisprudence. He has often been asked to participate in current affairs programs and panel discussions on television, but he does not view himself as a public presenter, but instead wishes to remain talking through his text.
Criticism
The MOT program of YLE does not accept Timonen's claim that "The journalists do what they are told to do. They are told to keep silent of some things, but to write actively about some things even if it requires bending facts".
Harassment
Timonen has been a victim of harassment for several times. In 2013 he wrote in his blog to correct false information about social benefits for immigrants, for example by stating that the minimum support grants and unemployment grants given to immigrants were no larger than those given to ethnic Finns. Timonen's blog post was met with hate mail including threats of physical violence.
In June 2015 Timonen wrote about
Finns Party parliament member
Olli Immonen's connections to the Neo-Nazi organisation
Finnish Resistance Movement, after which a
denial-of-service attack as made to his blog service.
[Farbror Timonen spräcker migrationsmyter på nätet](_blank)
''Sveriges Radio
Sveriges Radio AB (, "Sweden's Radio") is Sweden's national publicly funded radio broadcaster. Sveriges Radio is a public limited company, owned by an independent foundation, previously funded through a licensing fee, the level of which is d ...
'' 4 May 2016. Accessed on 23 May 2016. After this the blog moved to ''Image'' magazine in August.
In March 2016 a Finns Party council member of
Salo who had been harassing and insulting Timonen for a long time was dismissed from his post as a
lay judge, when the district court of Finland Proper saw that his Internet writing was in conflict with the behaviour expected of a judge.
In June 2016 a dead rat was mailed to Timonen's 81-year-old mother. As well as Timonen, another blogger who had been writing about immigration critics and his three-year-old son had received threats.
Awards
On Independence Day 2015 Timonen received an award from the
Committee of 100 from his work in dealing with problems in Finnish society.
Sadankomitean rauhanpalkinto bloggaaja Sakari Timoselle
Committee of 100 4 December 2015. Accessed on 23 May 2016.
References
External links
Sakari Timonen's blog
at ''Image'' magazine
Sakari Timonen's old blog
at WordPress
Sakari Timonen's old blog
at Äänestäjien liitto RY
{{DEFAULTSORT:Timonen, Sakari
Finnish bloggers
Finnish jurists
Social Democratic Party of Finland politicians
1957 births
Living people
People from Juuka