It has been interesting to watch the development of the three daily newspapers in Iceland in the past year.
Morgunbladid was one of the victims of Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson’s fatal business-eating disease and has had its ups and downs. At its best when analyzing what is behind the numbers Icelanders are facing, be it IceSave or household debt, at its worst whenever Agnes Bragadottir and Kolbrun Bergthorsdottir put their pens to work for the benefit of those who are most responsible for the crash. Currently it is in a identity crisis and its employees are facing a winter of Survivor.
Frettabladid is dying. No ifs and buts about it. If it continues on the road its been on since last autumn it will not suvive until the next. Except as a commercial pamphlet. The disgrace was completed in the summer when it outsourced its editorial opinion columns to people with an agenda from different sides of the political spectrum. What was supposed to be a brilliant bi-partisan move has turned out to be less interesting than a fart in an elevator. Might bounce back if a new owner can be found, but the paper has always depended on Jon Asgeir Johannesson’s ventures for ad revenue.
But the surprise of them all is DV. The wimps that dared not go against Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson last year for the fear of him purchasing them have become so hard-hitting and relevant that Althingi has canceled its subscription. When a newspaper has to be kept away from democratically elected politicians so it does not hurt their feelings, it has to be doing something right.
Sometimes pleasant things come from unexpected directions.
Update: Petur Gislason, an unemployed man in Reykjavik has stepped forth and said he is prepared to buy a copy of DV for Althingi.
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September 2nd, 2009 → 9:20 am @ Dadi
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