A massive subscription cancellation at Morgunblaðið, in response to the hiring of former politician and Central Bank chairman Davíð Oddsson as
co-editor, has prompted some drastic measures from the paper.
People who cancelled their subscription last week were probably surprised to see Morgunblaðið appear on their doorstep today, as they had been told that the cancellation would mean the last issue would arrive on 30 September. In contacting Morgunblaðið, the Grapevine learned that the new editor has decided to continue sending the paper anyway.
The issues will continue to be sent to the cancelled subscribers for three months, but they will get these three months for free. If they do not cancel their subscriptions at this time, they will continue to receive the paper, but will be billed for it. Subscribers may still call to cancel if they do not wish to receive the three months free.
Morgunblaðið has used the “three months free” plan in the past, as a promotional tool to drum up subscriptions, but this may very well be the first time it has used it in response to mass cancellations.
UPDATE: Contrary to what we were told over the phone, the offer is for one month; not three. A letter from Morgunblaðið, signed by the co-editors, reads among other things, “As you have recently cancelled your subscription, we want to assure you that you can contribute your own input into how the paper develops,” and have offered to give the paper for free through the month of October. Unsubscribers are still given the option to call Morgunblaðið should they not want the issues through October.
Whether or not Morgunblaðið will then, absolutely, we-mean-it-for-real-this-time respect the wishes of those who don’t want the paper remains to be seen.