Journalists’ job security has decreased in the last decade, particularly in the private media. It was pointed out by interviewees that there was a key shift in Iceland following the 2008 financial crisis. Many senior journalists were let go and younger journalists were hired to lower costs. Many journalists are on short-term contracts and there is very little job security overall.
In 2012, the average work experience of Icelandic journalists was twelve years (Kolbeins, 2012). Newer data isn’t available, but it is unlikely that it has increased in the private news media since, as layoffs have been frequent, and many journalists quit for better pay and less stressful jobs (for example, in public relations) (Ólafsson, 2019). Moreover, freelance journalism in the news field is not a common practice in Iceland.
Journalists can easily be dismissed from their jobs. The Media Act does not contain any clauses protecting journalists from writing against their convictions, and neither are there any special privileges or financial compensations for journalists in case of dismissal or termination of contract that occur due to changes in ownership or the political orientation of the medium. The National Union of Icelandic Journalists has repeatedly called for more protection for journalists, but so far, this has been in vain.
