The media in Greenland

With a population size of only just over 56,000 people living widely scattered, the few nationwide media have much significance. However, the lack of a media policy means that news coverage is given low priority.

In Greenland, there are two nationwide media houses, the public servicestation KNR, which produces radio, television and web news, as well as the media house Sermitsiaq/AG, which publishes two weekly newspapers, web news and a few magazines, as well as the household-distributed free newspaper Nuuk Ugeavis. In addition, there are a few local newspapers, local television and local radios stations, which operated on a voluntary basis and mainly in Nuuk, Sisimiut, Ilulissat, Maniitsoq and Qaqortoq.

KNR – public service

The first television programmes broadcast in Greenland were recorded from Danish television on VHS tape and were broadcast via the Godthåb closed TV networks from 1966. The association was paid by its members and based on volunteering. In 1981, there were 25 associations, but a wish existed for real television that did not depend on Danish television programmes being tapped, transported by ship, selected and broadcast by the local associations.

Following the introduction of home rule, the cultural area was transferred in 1981, including also broadcasting. Home rule now legalised the illegal privately based tappings.

Simultaneous television broadcasting began on 1 November 1982. In the years before, there were endless discussions of economy, culture and language. Politicians and media professionals thought that once the technology and economy were in place, it would gradually become possible to produce Greenlandic broadcasts that could meet the public service obligations.

The prospect of national television was characterised by ambivalence: Idealists focused on the fact that entertainment would keep young people off the streets, that it would benefit language skills and strengthen education and cultural work. Critics feared that the foreign influence would undermine the Greenlandic language and national identity. A 1975 television report showed that a language distribution was envisioned with 85 % self-production/versioning and 15 % non-versioned. However, the figures turned out to be the other way around, often to the criticism of the population.

Over the years, airtime increased steadily: In 1983, KNR aired an average of four hours and 20 minutes per day, of which 17 minutes were self-production. By 2011, the airtime had expanded to 13 hours and 52 minutes, of which one hour and 27 minutes were self-production – with current news and current affairs programmes such as Qanorooq (news) and Tamassa, in-studio visits, entertainment and debate.

The fact that KNR-TV’s annual broadcasts consisted of an average of about 15 % self-production was a matter of resources. A comparison with the Danish public service channel showed that it was impossible to expect more in a large and sparsely populated country. It was not until 2014 that there was 100 % TV coverage everywhere.

In 2013, KNR reorganised from flow channel to niche channel. The mix of Danish and Greenlandic programmes was superseded by self-produced programmes. Danish programmes were now broadcast live from DR and TV 2. Channel and programme selection could be decided by television consumers themselves, and additional TV packages could be purchased in more places.

Many new programmes have come into being, and Greenland TV has a modern multi-platform interface, but with fierce competition from payment channels and internet.

Media standpoint in a democratic society

In December 2010, a media working group established to shed light on the development perspective of Greenlandic media released a statement that said, among other things, that the media must tie the country together and reflect all of society to include all types of audiences. But the limited funds and resources available for distribution and travel prevent the media from fulfilling their role optimally.

The terms of reference of the working group intended to create a diversity of free media that could involve citizens in the free democratic process. The media should meet the need for versatile and engaging experiences, raise the level of information and, not least, reflect Greenlandic language and culture. But the expected political debate did not materialise.

After more than a decade, the report can still form the basis for a discussion that addresses the development perspective of the media.

Just as in the rest of the world, many Greenlandic young people pick up most of the news from social media, and not from the productions of the nationwide media. A glance at the content of the nationwide media shows that their primary target audience is not the young generation. The pattern uncovered by the media working group in 2010 is largely unchanged: Children and young people were and are the group that gets the least attention in the media picture.

Media landscape today

The Greenlandic media have few resources, the advertising market is limited and there is a shortage of professional staff and specialised knowledge. In 2017, there were only about 35‑40 full-time journalists to produce all kinds of products – from news and cultural programs to investigative business journalism. That picture has not changed. Yet both Sermitsiaq/AG and KNR have online newsdesks, which bring daily news.

The Sermitsiaq/AG and AG/Atuagagdliutit newspapers, which are the only nationwide newspapers, each have their editorial staff of about five journalists, with about half being bilingual (Greenlandic) journalists and the other half being Danish journalists recruited from Denmark. The same applies to KNR’s news department Radioavisen, whose content is broadcast in both Greenlandic and Danish. Furthermore, KNR has a television news department, Qanorooq. Five days a week, Qanorooq broadcasts news from the coast and short news from the outside world with an editorial staff of only five or six bilingual journalists. Television news are subtitled in Danish, allowing everyone regardless of language to keep up.

It is not only journalists who make up the professional workforce in the media. The nationwide newspapers have graphic designers and versionists, as well as a photographer. Likewise, KNR has AV assistants, technicians, super users and production assistants.

The media and the language issue

Versionists have an indispensable function in media production, as both Danish journalists and some Greenlandic journalists write articles in Danish and have them translated into Greenlandic.

Within virtually all public and private companies, educational establishments, etc., the working language is Danish, so although Greenlandic is the official main language, the everyday language is strongly influenced by the Danish language, which means that the journalist’s sources are very often in Danish. This requires journalists to master both languages fluently, and it can be a barrier for young people wanting to train to become a journalist.

Further reading

• Education
• Film in Greenland
• Industry and labour market
• Infrastructure
• Language
• Plans in Greenland
• Population and demographics
• The five regional municipalities
• Towns and settlements

Read more about Culture in Greenland