Spursmál panel examines Iceland’s EU vote and media crisis

mbl.is reports that an extra episode of Spursmál will examine the outcome of Iceland’s vote on whether to restart membership talks with the European Union.

A majority of voters rejected reopening the negotiations after a lengthy and heated campaign between opposing sides. Journalists Andrea Sigurðardóttir and Andrés Magnússon will discuss the situation following the vote. They have led Morgunblaðið and mbl.is coverage of the possible EU membership over recent months, examining its potential advantages and disadvantages.

Former editor and member of parliament Óli Björn Kárason will join the second part of the programme to discuss the latest developments in the media market. The appearance follows the announcement that Stöð 2 and, most recently, Sýn had ended their evening news programme after 40 years.

The discussion will address what the decision means for press freedom in Iceland and why media organisations are facing such difficulties.

The programme is scheduled to air on mbl.is at 14:00. It will later be available on Spotify, YouTube and the Spursmál page on mbl.is.