The Journalist Union of Norway, Finland, Sweden and Denmark released a joint statement, saying it was “sinister” to hire former conservative politician and Central Bank chairman Davíð Oddsson as newspaper Morgunblaðið’s co-editor.
Vísir reports that the union also expressed grave concerns for the future of Icelandic journalism. The statement says in part that after the collapse of the banks, many journalists – some of them with decades of experience – had been fired without warning. Keeping in mind that lay-offs have been occurring throughout the country, the union still believes the journalist firings could have a negative impact on freedom of expression.
The statement goes on to say that the union considers it “sinister” that one of the oldest newspapers in the country, Morgunblaðið, would hire a former prime minister as co-editor, who was also Central Bank chairman when the banks collapsed.
In the end, the union also expressed concerns over the Icelandic Journalist Union, as journalists – including the Icelandic Journalist Union chairman – lose their jobs in the media. The Journalist Union of Norway, Finland, Sweden and Denmark is considering coming to Iceland to discuss matters with their colleagues here.
The full statement can be read here (in Norwegian).