Foreign minister cites time limits for declining interview requests

Iceland’s foreign minister says she has declined some interview requests because of time constraints, while describing media access to her as very good, mbl.is reports.

In a response to a question from Diljá Mist Einarsdóttir about how interview requests are handled, Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir said she generally gives interviews to Icelandic and foreign media when asked and when her schedule allows. She said requests were turned down in some cases, particularly around the referendum in August.

Gunnarsdóttir said she has not established formal rules for handling requests, as journalists use various ways to contact her. She also does not keep a record of requests, so she cannot say how many were declined during her term.

Einarsdóttir put the question to all government ministers after hearing complaints from media outlets that officials were unavailable for interviews or responses.