Sýn dismisses longtime news reporter as TV broadcasts end

Lillý Valgerður Pétursdóttir was dismissed by Sýn on Monday after more than 20 years as a reporter for the company’s newsroom, mbl.is reports. Several other newsroom employees were also laid off as Sýn ended the production and broadcast of television news.

“This did not come as a particular surprise to me,” Lillý Valgerður told mbl.is.

She said the changes had been anticipated internally. The owners had discussed ending the evening news and had already stopped broadcasting the programme on weekends. The newsroom had also faced extensive cuts for a long time, she said.

Lillý Valgerður described the development in Icelandic media as very sad and frightening. She said it was important for people to have access to news, follow events around them and stop to ask questions.

She also said she valued the shared experience of sitting down with family members to watch and discuss the evening news, adding that she would have liked to see the situation develop differently.