According to all respondents, journalists have much say when it comes to how issues are framed in Iceland. Most newsrooms hold editorial meetings in the mornings where the issues of the day are discussed. There, editors present topics they want covered, but journalists are usually expected to bring ideas on topics for news stories. Interviewees mentioned that a lot of time was often spent discussing particular issues, and journalists had enough agenda-setting power in how issues were framed and covered. The decision-making process in editorial meetings was often quite informal and democratic, and following the meetings, there was usually an active and ongoing dialogue with the editors, news editors, and desk editors whilst the journalists worked on their stories. For example, if the journalists could not reach someone for an interview, there would be a follow-up discussion focusing on other suitable alternate interviewees.
Journalists in Iceland usually have no say in who is appointed as editor-in-chief. Some media outlets advertise the position (like RÚV and Sýn), whilst owners sometimes hire directly without the position being made public (like Árvakur and Torg). With smaller media outlets, the editors are commonly also owners. RÚV and Sýn both have internal rules in place to make sure that male and female journalists are treated equally. Interviewees from other outlets highlighted that no formal rules were in place to make sure that gender equality was respected in the workplace.
