In a statement from the national convention of the Leftist-Greens, the hiring of Davíð Oddsson as co-editor of Morgunblaðið is “a textbook example of the media openly used as the propaganda machine of its owners.”
The statement, part of the party’s general platform voted on at their convention in Akureyri last weekend, also says in part that many journalists have felt the pressure put on them as firings continue – referencing the dozens of journalists Morgunblaðið fired, some with decades of experience at the paper, while simultaneously hiring Oddsson.
The party also believes that equal rights have taken a hit in the media recently, pointing out that the previous and present chairpersons of the Icelandic Journalist Union, as well as its vice chairperson, were all women and were all fired in a short span of time.
The statement concludes that the government should do everything it can to ensure freedom of the press in Iceland, both legislatively and through speaking openly on the matter.