Pääkuvan

Pääkuva is a Finnish term that denotes the main image accompanying a news article, feature, or online post. The word is commonly written as pääkuva, while pääkuvan is the genitive form used in phrases such as "pääkuvan valinta" (the choice of the main image) or "pääkuvan tekijä" (the creator of the main image). In Finnish media, the main image is a central element for visual storytelling and for creating first impressions of the content.

The role of the pääkuva is to reflect the article’s subject, tone, and context and to help readers quickly grasp what the piece is about. Editors and photo editors consider factors such as relevance, composition, clarity, and copyright when selecting it. The image is usually captioned with information about the subject, photographer or agency, and licensing, and it may be accompanied by metadata used for indexing and accessibility.

Technical and rights considerations are important in choosing and using a pääkuva. Images are typically optimized for web use, often stored in formats such as JPEG or WebP, and accompanied by alt text to aid accessibility for screen readers. Proper attribution and licensing are required to ensure legal use, and credits are commonly included in captions or nearby metadata.

Related terms and usage notes: in English-language media, terms like lead image or hero image are used, and some Finnish outlets reference a corresponding loanword or concept. In everyday Finnish, pääkuva remains the standard term for the main image that accompanies a story, both in print and online.