The End of Iceland's Innocence: The Image of Iceland in the Foreign Media during the Financial Crisis

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION: A MEDIA CRISIS ........................................................................... 9 Excessiveness ................................................................................................................ 11 The Research ................................................................................................................. 15 The Role of the Media—Dramatisation of the Crisis ......................................................... 25 PART ONE: ASSETS IN JEOPARDY ........................................................................... 37 An Egalitarian, Progressive and Peaceful Country—An Independent Utopia ...................... 39 The Impact of the Crisis Abroad—A General Dislike of Iceland ......................................... 47 A Casualty of the Global Crisis—The First Domino to Fall ................................................. 55 Communication Problems—An Atmosphere of Mistrust ................................................... 60 Ethics—In Great Disarray ................................................................................................ 66 Free-Thinking Artists—Björk and Olafur Eliasson .............................................................. 73 Humour—‘Ctrl-Alt-Del.Welcome to Iceland 2.0’ ............................................................... 78 PART TWO: BANKRUPTCY ......................................................................................... 85 Numerous Warnings—A Foreseeable Collapse ................................................................. 87 Bankruptcy—Iceland Became Synonymous with Crisis .................................................... 92 Social and Economic Incest—A Closely-Knit Economy ..................................................... 99 Davið Oddsson and the Central Bank of Iceland—Political Intervention in Economics ...... 104 Arrogance—Excessive Confidence ................................................................................... 109 Iceland’s Very Loyal Friend—Richard Portes ..................................................................... 113 The New Vikings—Yesterday’s Heroes,Today’s Villains ...................................................... 118 Gender Issues—Women: The Antidote to the Crisis .......................................................... 129 PART THREE: THE REST OF THE WORLD ................................................................ 135 Scandinavia—Our Nordic Friends .................................................................................... 137 Russia—Our New Friend ................................................................................................. 143 The Conflict with the United Kingdom—One of Us, Not One of Them ................................ 152 Europe—Seeking Protective Shelter ................................................................................. 161 A Very Small Country—Big Is Not Always Beautiful .......................................................... 170 CONCLUSION: THE HUMILIATED COUNTRY ........................................................... 183 Violence—Icelanders’Anger ............................................................................................ 185 Returning to Traditions—Fishing, Morality and Anti-Consumerism .................................... 191 Irresponsibility—Who Should Pay the Price? ................................................................... 198 Humiliation—The Wounded Tiger ..................................................................................... 207 CHRONOLOGY ............................................................................................................ 218 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................... 227 ...