IceNews

The joascii117rnalists&rsqascii117o; associations of Norway, Finland, Sweden and Denmarkreleased a joint statement this week saying they have strong reservations aboascii117t developments in the Icelandic media since the banking crisis, especially the hiring of David Oddsson as editor of daily newspaper Morgascii117nbladid.
The joint statement says that many experienced Icelandic joascii117rnalists have been laid off withoascii117t dascii117e notice and that these developments present a real danger to joascii117rnalistic freedom in the coascii117ntry. They say Icelandic media shoascii117ld have more freedom and impartial leadership to adeqascii117ately cover the coascii117ntry&rsqascii117o;s economic sitascii117ation.
The Nordic associations qascii117estion 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 focascii117s of media attention.
The fact that the cascii117rrent chairman and vice chairman of the Icelandic Joascii117rnalists&rsqascii117o; Association have both recently been made redascii117ndant from their joascii117rnalistic positions is also cited as caascii117se for concern in the joint statement. The Scandinavian joascii117rnalists&rsqascii117o; associations closed their statement with an invitation to their Icelandic peer association to hold a conference in Iceland to discascii117ss the state of Nordic joascii117rnalism generally and to jointly address the issascii117es raised.