Q: Tell me a little bit about yourself. Name/age/occupation/where you are currently living. How long have you been/were you in Iceland?

A:  I'm Alex Elliott, 35, a journalist with RÚV, the national broadcaster of Iceland. I currently live in Reykjavík and have been in Iceland on and off since 2005.

 

Q: Are you a native Icelander? If not, why were you in Iceland? What years were you there?

A: I am British but moved to Iceland because of a mysterious passion for the country and its culture that I can't quite explain.

 

Q: How do most people get their news/information in Iceland? Who controls the media?

A: Most people in Iceland get their news online, but television, radio, and newspapers are also important. There are quite a lot of media companies, but the biggest include 365 Media (Fréttablaðið newspaper, Stöð 2 TV, Bylgjan radio), Árvakur (Morgunblaðið newspaper,mbl.is, K100 radio), and RÚV (television and radio). Other big players include newspapers DV, Mannlíf, and Viðskiptablaðið; as well as websites Stundin and dv.is. Then there's the Reykjavík Grapevine too, which reaches Icelanders in almost equal measure to

 tourists and ex-pats.

 

Q: What social media is used most there? News outlet? How commonly do people use RUV?

A: Facebook is most used here, but Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and others are also popular. RÚV is the biggest broadcaster, Fréttablaðið is the biggest newspaper, and mbl.is is the biggest news website.

 

Q: How do you think people from other countries view Icelanders based on what they see in the media?

A: I don't really know. I am not sure if people in other countries do view Icelanders in any way because of the news. There are certain topics that they might think of though, that could shape their opinions about the country as a whole. These include volcanoes, the fact that it is an expensive country, tourism, outdoor adventure, whaling, climate change, the banking crash, how to deal with a financial crisis, gender equality, art and culture, and several others.

 

Q: What is unique about the Icelandic identity?

A: Icelandic identity is unique in its contradictions. Iceland wants to be part of everything and the centre of attention, at the same time as being fiercely independent and stubborn. That's why we're in the EEA, Schengen and EFTA but on in the EU, I think. Iceland is proud of being a small country, but wants to be treated and respected like a big country. Iceland enjoys the efficient, sensible Nordic reputation people assume it has in common with Scandinavia, but is in fact very last-minute and sometimes chaotic. People sometimes call it the Spain or the Caribbean of the north!

 

Q: How important is tourism in Iceland?

A: Tourism is one of the three main pillars of the Icelandic economy at the moment, alongside fisheries and heavy industry.

 

Q: Is the use of media increasing or decreasing? How can you tell?

A: If you include social media, then it is probably increasing. But when it comes to traditional media, see here: https://www.ruv.is/frett/media-use-down-year-on-year.

 

Q: What kind of television do you watch? Streaming services?

A: I watch RÚV, as well as other stations and catch-up streaming through Sjónvarp Símans.

 

Q: What kind of music do you listen to? (Please share specific songs - especially if they are in Icelandic!)

A: I have very wide music tastes. Some of my Icelandic favourites include Sigur Rós, Valdimar, Cell 7, Retro Stefson, Mammút, and more. Icelandic hip hop is massive at the moment, though I don't personally love it.

 

Q: What kind of food do you typically eat/ cook (what is your favorite meal/ what is most popular)?

A: I am pescetarian, but like pretty much all food. My favourite thing to cook and eat is probably a nice spicy Indian curry.

 

Q: What do Icelanders do for fun/recreation?

A: Icelanders have many of the same hobbies as Americans, especially things like sports, hiking, going to the cinema, shopping, yoga, and many more.

 

Q:  How does media and technology play a role in family life (children especially)? Work life?

A: Media is a talking point in workplaces: what's in the news, the latest major blockbuster television series, etc. Television is also popular among children as education and entertainment--and sometimes as an electronic babysitter.

 

Q: How happy do you think Icelanders generally are? What is the cause of this?

A: Icelanders rank highly in global happiness rankings, but also in the list of countries using the most antidepressants! Life here is good, education is free, the environment is fairly clean, there is low crime, and art and music are encouraged.

 

Q: How healthy do you think Icelanders are?

A: Icelanders have a high life expectancy. Who knows why. But a diet rich in fish could have something to do with it. Sport is also popular here. Saying that, there is also an obesity problem and people eat too much sugar.

 

Q: Are there any important cultural, economic, racial, or political rifts/tensions within the country? (These could be based on money, race, language, religion, ethnicity, gender, age, etc.)

A: The króna is unstable and its ups and downs make the whole economy less stable. Many believe we should adopt a bigger currency, like the euro. As with every country, there are big political rifts all the time. Racial rifts, not so much. How to protect and promote Icelandic while remaining welcoming and ready to use English is a big issue in a time when technology is so important and usually in English, and there are so many tourists.

 

Q: Are there any other resources you recommend I check out?

A: You might like to talk to someone at the Reykjavík Grapevine, or the foreign students at one of the universities, for example? t2.