A new Icelandic, independent, monthly newspaper recently started circulating in Iceland. The paper’s name is Róstur, being an old word for turmoil or riot. The first issue came out in March, with final work being put into the fourth issue in these written words.
Whereas all major medias in Iceland are either run by the state or parts of the financial elite, they dutifully serve their owners agendas over their obligations towards their readers, and are mostly just propaganda tools, each for their own respectful shareholders. News mediums who don’t dare critisize big corporations and advertisers are not just a local problem, but a global one. Their kind allows these companies to buy the image they want to project of themselves and serve it to the public through loyal medias, or to let their misdeeds pass ignored by the medias who don’t wish to ruffle the feathers of their biggest sponsors.
The purpose of Róstur is to be a counterweight to all the financially domesticated news mediums. It is run without profit on donations from it’s readers, totally void of advertisments and political support, to ensure the papers integrity and that it’s loyalty will always be devoted to the readers themselves and no one else. All work on the paper is done voluntarily by the persons involved.
Róstur is simultaneously a cooporative project meant to demonstrate that it’s possible to serve the community without direct monetary rewards. If people are serious about wanting to change something in their society, the first step must be changing the ruling ideology. The current ideology is one of maximal profit where everything lacking profit is deemed unworthy. If we want real changes, this ideology must be laid waste. Róstur, with emphasizes on cooporation and denial of the rule of profit, hopes to be a part of such a change.
The first issue was printed in 1.000 copies which sold out within weeks, resulting in later issues being printed in 2.000 copies. General information on the paper and pdf files of back issues are available on Róstur´s website: www.rostur.org.
Hope, hope, hope you are for real. Hope you will be able to value integrity and honesty, I am so tired of showeling darkness… moka myrkri..
Saving Iceland is a symbol of sincerety.
I was very impressed by the first copy of Róstur (like the name too). It was well written, informative and in general full of good stuff. Keep up the good work !