Reykjavík Grapevine - 10.04.2015, Síða 2

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The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 1 — 2011
SABOTAGE
There are two daily newspapers published in
Iceland.
Each is owned and operated by a powerful in-
terest group.
---
To grossly simplify an already gross affair:
Fréttablaðið is the domain of the remnants of the
once dominant Baugur empire of Jón Ásgeir Jóhann
(see: economic collapse). They recently instated their
disgraced corporation's former PR officer, Kristín
Þorsteinsdóttir, to the post of Editor In Chief.
Morgunblaðið is owned by some of the larg-
est stakeholders in Iceland’s divisive fishing quota
system. To run their newspaper, they drafted in a
former Prime Minister-slash-former Central Bank
governor, The Man Who Privatized Iceland, Davíð
Oddsson.
---
Morgunblaðið, Iceland’s oldest operating media en-
tity (and once its most respected), does not divulge
its subscription numbers, or its circulation. How-
ever, there are many indications that it has very few
subscribers, and that its newsstand sales are nego-
tiable.
Fréttablaðið is distributed to every household
in the greater Reykjavík area, free of charge. Aside
from making for an excellent pitch to advertisers,
this is also an excellent means of disseminating in-
formation to the public. They’ve got a good thing go-
ing.
---
Baugur and affiliates spent hundreds of millions of
krónur establishing and operating Fréttablaðið in
the ‘00s, rarely turning a profit, if ever. Although in
serious debt, Fréttablaðið’s owner, 365 Media, has
reportedly turned a profit over the last four years. It
is highly doubtful that the people who funded Fré-
ttablaðið and kept it going through the years ever
recouped their investment. Perhaps that was never
their intent.
Morgunblaðið is run at a loss, and has been. For
years.
For whatever reason, certain parties see a benefit
in subsidizing the publication of newspapers that
consistently haemorrhage money.
---
Both of Iceland’s daily newspapers work diligently
at promoting and protecting their owners' interests,
as you may discern from what they choose to report
on—and not report on.
Take Fréttablaðið. While newspapers all over the
world have lauded Iceland for the way it has handled
the financial crisis, touting, sometimes overzealous-
ly, the fact that some of the bankers responsible for
bringing the country to its knees in 2008 have been
jailed, Kristín Þorsteinsdóttir repeatedly casts doubt
on Iceland’s approach.
In an opinion piece entitled “Are We Worse Than
Other People?”, she suggested that Iceland’s courts
are not well enough equipped to properly assess who
might be responsible for their economic crisis, and
that the nation should instead take an anthropologi-
cal approach (!) to understanding what happened, so
that we can learn from our mistakes.
Since taking over as editor, there has been more
of the same. In an April 4 editorial, Kristín suggested
that the Special Prosecutor had lied about not know-
ing that one of the judges in an ongoing case involv-
ing the aforementioned Jón Ásgeir was actually the
brother of recently sentenced bankster Ólafur Ólafs-
son. Disappointed that the Supreme Court did not
find this fact relevant to the case, she said that this
could not be the end of it and concluded that it’s now
the media’s turn. Turn to do what?
Three days later, Fréttablaðið ran a front-page
article that discredited the Supreme Court judg-
ments in the recent Al Thani case (see article: Bank-
ers Behind Bars on grapevine.is), quoted heavily
from an opinion piece in that same issue, which was
written by Ólafur's wife, who believes her husband
was wrongfully sentenced due to a misunderstand-
ing. The article’s only other source was Ólafur’s
lawyer. Meanwhile, the prosecutor in the case, who
was obviously willing to comment, was left to do so
elsewhere.
So why is Kristín seemingly so opposed to Ice-
land’s Special Prosecutor and his mission to investi-
gate the financial crimes that resulted in a collapse
that nearly bankrupted the nation, and that we are
still paying for? It might have something to do with
the fact that the main owner of 365 Media, which
owns Fréttablaðið, is married to one Jón Ásgeir
Jóhannesson. Yes, former CEO and President of
Baugur Group Jón Ásgeir Jóhannesson. Who the
Special Prosecutor has charged with several finan-
cial crimes leading up to the collapse. Who remains
under investigation. Who awaits a verdict.
Funny how that worked out.
---
As their fortune is entirely dependent on Iceland’s
deeply-flawed fishing quota system, Morgunblaðið’s
owners have a vested interest in maintaining the
pre-collapse status quo. To that end, their news-
paper has devoted the past six years to vehemently
fighting any motion that would reform the system
(such as by writing a new constitution) or place it in
jeopardy (such as joining the EU).
This blatantly obvious agenda is second only to
the editor’s fantastical attempts to rewrite recent
history, so as to diminish his undeniable role in caus-
ing Iceland’s near-bankruptcy.
---
All of this is of course absurdly funny. But, it’s dead
serious. As they struggle to retain power and influ-
ence, the two interest groups actively corrode Ice-
landic society, sabotaging our democracy, discourse
and culture.
Several parties have made attempts to subvert
this development. For instance by establishing
new media entities, often online, that seek fund-
ing through subscribers and ad revenue. There are
several such ventures operating at the moment,
Kjarninn and Stundin chief among them.
Theirs is an uphill battle, fought in a hostile en-
vironment, as their competitors—the two newspa-
pers—lord over the market by power of their sheer
magnitude, enabled by parties of interest that see a
benefit in funding their continued existence without
regard to their ability to turn a profit.
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The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 4 — 2015
TRACK OF
THE ISSUE
This issue’s track of the issue comes from
Rythmatik, the recent winners of Músik-
tilraunir, Iceland’s national Battle of the
bands. This young four-piece, from the
tiny town of Suðureyri up in the Westf-
jords, clearly haven't let the brutal winter
dim their spirits—their track "Tiny Knots,"
still in demo form right now, is overspilling
with the sparky energy that propelled them
to the top of the Músiktilraunir pile. Their
influences vary from AOR rock to indie,
emo and pop-punk, traces of which can
be heard in this effervescent track. Read
more about their mix 'n' match approach
to songwriting elsewhere in the issue. And
well done, Rythmatik!
You can download the song on our
website www.grapevine.is.Rythmatik - "Tiny Knots"
Haukur and Anna’s 1st Editorial
Hafnarstræti 15, 101 Reykjavík
www.grapevine.is
grapevine@grapevine.is
Published by Fröken ehf.
www.froken.is
Member of the Icelandic Travel Industry Association
www.saf.is
Printed by Landsprent ehf. in 25.000 copies.
Editor In Chief:
Haukur S Magnússon / haukur@grapevine.is
Editor:
Anna Andersen / anna@grapevine.is
Journalist:
John Rogers / john@grapevine.is
Journalist & Listings editor
Tómas Gabríel Benjamin / gabriel@grapevine.is
Editorial:
+354 540 3600 / editor@grapevine.is
Advertising:
+354 540 3605 / ads@grapevine.is
+354 40 3610
Publisher:
Hilmar Steinn Grétarsson / hilmar@grapevine.is
+354 540 3601 / publisher@grapevine.is
Contributing Writers:
Bob Cluness
Davíð Roach
Eli Petzold
Elliot Brandsma
Gústaf Hannibal
Kári Tulinius
Kormákur Arthursson
Larissa Kyzer
Nanna árnadóttir
Óli Dóri
Ragnar Egilsson
Rebecca Scott Lord
Sam Knight
Scott Shigeoka
Shruthi Basappa

Editorial Interns:
Anna Manning / anna.manning@grapevine.is
Ragna Ólöf Guðmundsdóttir / ragna@grapevine.is
Stefanie Mnich / stefanie@grapevine.is
Victor Marguardt/ victor@grapevine.is
York Underwood / york@grapevine.is
Art Director:
Hörður Kristbjörnsson / hordur@dodlur.is
Layout:
Hrefna Sigurðardóttir
Photographers:
Art Bicnick
Baldur Kristjánsson
Hörður Sveinsson
Alisa Kalyanova
Sales Director:
Aðalsteinn Jörundsson / adalsteinn@grapevine.is
Helgi Þór Harðarson / helgi@grapevine.is
Óskar Freyr Pétursson / oskar@grapevine.is
Distribution manager:
distribution@grapevine.is
Proofreader:
Mark Asch
releases:
listings@grapevine.is
Submissions inquiries:
editor@grapevine.is
Subscription inquiries:
+354 540 3605 / subscribe@grapevine.is
General inquiries:
grapevine@grapevine.is
Founders:
Hilmar Steinn Grétarsson,
Hörður Kristbjörnsson,
Jón Trausti Sigurðarson,
Oddur Óskar Kjartansson,
Valur Gunnarsson
The Reykjavík Grapevine is published 18 times a year by Fröken
ltd. Monthly from November through April, and fortnightly
from May til October. Nothing in this magazine may be repro-
duced in whole or in part without the written permission of
the publishers. The Reykjavík Grapevine is distributed around
Reykjavík, Akureyri, Egilsstaðir, Seyðisfjörður, Borgarnes,
Keflavík, Ísafjörður and at key locations along road #1, and all
major tourist attractions and tourist information centres in the
country.
You may not like it, but at least it's not sponsored (no articles
in the Reykjavík Grapevine are pay-for articles. The opinions
expressed are the writers’ own, not the advertisers’).
On the cover: Halldór Halldórsson
aka. Dóri DNA, Ari Eldjárn, Saga
Garðarsdóttir, Þórdís Nadia
Semichat, Hugleikur Dagsson, Anna
Svava, Rökkvi Vésteinsso, Snjólaug
Lúðviksdóttir, Andri Ívarsson, Bylgja
Babylóns
Photo: Baldur Kristjáns
(www.baldurkristjans.is)
Makeup: Valgerður Anna
Einarsdóttir
Thanks: Hjörtur Hjartarson, Geoffrey
from Prikið and Hulda Halldóra
We went and teamed up with fancy de-
sign firm karlssonwilker to make you
some artisanal t-shirts sporting several
iconic Reykjavík buildings. Get them
at www.grapevine.is and also probably
at some store eventually, when we get
around to talking to the store people.
"Whoa, those images of iconic
reykjavík buildings sure look
nice. If someone were to slap
them on a t-shirt, i would
surely purchase several"
Comic | Lóa Hjálmtýsdóttir