This provincial paper, which for a long time was very traditional in orientation, became more cosmopolitan and modern under Heikki Hakala, editor-in-chief from 1997 to 2014. It cooperates closely with the regional papers Keskisuomalainen, Savon Sanomat and Karjalainen. Their collaboration also extends to sharing articles and entire pages. The paper switched to tabloid format in 2016. In autumn 2016 Keskisuomalainen took over the majority stake in its publishing company ESA.
| Political orientation | Liberal |
|---|---|
| Circulation | 40,300 (2018) |
| Frequency of publication | Daily |
| Visits | 500.000 – 1.000.000 |
| Online payment model | Content partially fee-based |
| Location | Lahti, Finland |
| Publisher | Mediatalo Esa |
| Area of distribution | Regional |
| Established | 1914 |
| Address | Ilmarisentie 7, 15101 Lahti |
| Phone | 00358 040 5847 770 |
| toimitus@ess.fi | |
| @ESSonline |