The journalists’ associations of Norway, Finland, Sweden and Denmark released a joint statement this week saying they have strong reservations about developments in the Icelandic media since the banking crisis, especially the hiring of David Oddsson as editor of daily newspaper Morgunbladid.
The joint statement says that many experienced Icelandic journalists have been laid off without due notice and that these developments present a real danger to journalistic freedom in the country. They say Icelandic media should have more freedom and impartial leadership to adequately cover the country’s economic situation.
The Nordic associations question the logic of hiring the former Prime Minister and central bank head at the time of the crash, at a time when he himself is a focus of media attention.
The fact that the current chairman and vice chairman of the Icelandic Journalists’ Association have both recently been made redundant from their journalistic positions is also cited as cause for concern in the joint statement. The Scandinavian journalists’ associations closed their statement with an invitation to their Icelandic peer association to hold a conference in Iceland to discuss the state of Nordic journalism generally and to jointly address the issues raised.
Add into that that Frettabladid is owned – via his wife – by Jón Ásgeir Jóhannesson, who just happened to sell shares Baugur owned, as it collapsed, to allegedly realise the £6.7m he used as a deposit.
thanks so much for raising this issue, i think the rest of the scandinavian country should stand up to rescue the icelandic system becouse to me it seems its too many low I.Q people in iceland.. the system is more tyranical than democracy they portray to their people.. and the funny thing is, most icelanders cant see all this manipulation in their system… we forigners can see it but sometimes the icelanders thinks they know more but in my opinion, i see them as less civilised people,greedy, selfifish like david oddson and cant understand despite their suffering, they still keep trusting in their currupt leaders…. david from the post of pm, to the head of central bank, and now the head of media… that mainly signifies cover up strategy.. yet people just keep quiet letting this confused, greedy, and selfish set of people distroying this great island,, well help them out
So, left-wing journalists are complaining that a free press should not allow a right-wing newspaper to choose an ex-Prime Minister as editor. Yes, let’s interfere and try to censor that choice, in the name of freedom of the press!
freedom of the press,,?? in Iceland,never has been..its all to small. Write the trurth,and find yourself out of a job..
SKANDINAVIA SEEMS NOT TO BE THE MODELIC SOCIETY WE THOUGT IT WAS, SOON THEY WILL START SAYING THAT ICELAND IS NOT SCANDINAVIA…
well, actually iceland isn’t scandinavia
@Euroking – I think that Skandinavia first must start to say that Iceland in part of Skandinavia before they can stop saying it.
Scandinavian journalists could only dream to work for an Icelandic media. Media in Iceland is much more free than the communist-controlled-media of Scandinavian countries.
“Scandinavian journalists could only dream to work for an Icelandic media. Media in Iceland is much more free than the communist-controlled-media of Scandinavian countries.”
BALKANSON, SORRY BUT I DON’T THINK THERE IS ANYONE THAT CAN AGREE WITH YOU IN THAT. ICELANDIC MEDIA IS REALLY ON THE HANDS OF POLITICIANS. AND THERE IS A LOT OF EFFORT MADE TO SUPPRESS FREE MEDIA. YOU JUST NEED TO WATCH TV TO CONFIRM THAT.
AND IF ICELANDIC MEDIA IS FREE, WHY DID THEY FIRED ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS AND RELIABLE JOURNALISTS WHO IS NOW A MEMBER OF THE PARLIAMENT??