Commercialization in the Icelandic Press: An analysis of hard and soft news in major print and online media in Iceland in times of change

Abstract

This article examines the commercialization of content in print and online newspapers in Iceland over the past decade in the context of international trends. Market forces are said to be guiding the values and priorities of editorial decisions in news media in Western countries more than ever before. Traditional revenue models have been shattered and competition for audiences and advertising has intensified, not least because of technological changes. Research indicates that media in some countries are more resistant to commercialization than others and that online newspapers may be more susceptible to market pressures than print media. This study explores the amount and prominence of hard and soft news in the main Icelandic newspapers and their online counterparts in 2005, 2009, and 2013. The findings suggest that commercialization increased considerably in online newspapers that published significantly more soft news in 2013 compared to 2005. In print newspapers, the increase in soft news coverage was significantly less during the same period.