Saqqummersitaq

Little research has been conducted to examine Greenlandic media and journalism. This thesis initially outlines the Greenlandic media landscape as a small media system which - despite some mutual differences - shares many similarities with the Danish media system. It is, however, also characterized by certain highly important vulnerabilities. The thesis therefore goes on to suggest the concept of “small society journalism”.

The primary empirical data is collected through observation studies and qualitative interviews with practicing and former journalists, editors, interns and journalism teachers. By entering into a dialogue with journalists in Greenland, the study of the data sheds light on a range of issues that are related to journalism practice in Greenlandic news media. Theoretically, the thesis draws on Bourdieu’s field theory and the application of field theory by other journalism and media researchers in the study of journalistic practice. The application of field theory, however, requires a specific national context, and in the case of Greenland, a post-colonial prism is key in order to grasp the reality that unfolds in the editorial room as an analytical field. As a consequence, the thesis also draws on concepts from postcolonial studies.

The analysis gives an ethnographic description of the routines and the structural framework surrounding the editorial work, and of how the production of news takes place. Subsequently, an analysis of the critical significance of the sources and of the challenges that are related to finding qualified and accessible sources, which is a crucial instrument in journalistic practice, follows. This is followed by a discussion of the - in a Greenlandic setting - inevitable question of language which partly determines much of the daily journalistic work procedure, for example by the central editorial role given to the translator.

The thesis shows that journalism and media is a much debated and disputed field in Greenland and that Greenlandic journalists struggle with geographic, economic and structural vulnerabilities that exist in small media systems. Furthermore, a number of dilemmas relating to language and culture exist which are of vital importance to how the journalists work.

Kalaallit Nunaanni tusagassiuutit tusagassiornerlu pillugit ilisimatusarneq annikitsuinnaammat ilisimatuutut allaaserisami matumani aallarniutigineqassaaq Kalaallit Nunaanni tusagassiornerup misissuiffigineqarnera, tusagassiorfeeqqatut systemi qanoq ittuunersoq misissuiffigalugu taannalu assigiinngissuteqartaraluarluni sananeqaatimigut inatsisiliorneqarnermigullu danskit
tusagassiuuteqarnermi systemiannut assinguvoq, kisiannili Kalaallit Nunaanni tusagassiorfeeqqatut systemip ilisarnaatigai immikkut ittumik eqqoruminassuseqartuuneq.

Taamaattumik ilisimatuutut allaaserisami siunnersuutigineqarpoq oqariartaaseq inuiaqatigiinni inukitsuni tusagassiorneq Hallinip Mancinillu tusagassiuuteqarnermi systemimut teoriannut ilisimaneqarluartumut ilassutigineqassasoq.

Ilisimatuutut allaaserisami misilittakkat pingaarnerit katersorneqarsimasut alaatsinaattuunermit aalajangersimasumillu amerlassusilikkanik siornatigut maannalu tusagassiortunik, aaqqissuisunik, ilinniartunik ilinniartitsisunillu apersuinertigut ingerlanneqarput. Misilittakkanik
misissueqqissaarnerup takutippaa ajornartorsiutinik arlaqartunik peqartoq Kalaallit Nunaanni nutaarsiassaqartitsinermut ingerlanneqartumut tunngasunik. Ilisimatuutut allaaserisami tunngavigineqarpoq Bourdieup misissuinermut teoria kiisalu tusagassiornermik tusagassiuutinillu
ilisimatuut allat Bourdieup teoria atorlugu tusagassiornermik atuuttumik misissueriaasii. Teorip misissuinermi atorneqartup piumasaraa nunami pissutsit atuuttut isiginiarneqassasut Kalaallillu Nunaat pineqartillugu nunasiaataasimanerup kingunerisa sunniutai oqaluttuarisaanerlu
pissusiviusunut atuuttunut pingaaruteqarput, aaqqissuisoqarfinni misissuiffiusuni atuuttut taamaattumillu ilisimatuutut allaaserisami oqariartaatsit nunasiaataasimanerup kingunerinut tunngasut misissuinermut ilaapput.

Misissueqqissaarneq aaqqissuisoqarfinni sulinermi inuiattut kinaassuseq aallaavigalugu suleriaatsinik tamatumalu sinaakkutaanik takutitsivoq kiisalu takutilluguttaaq ulluinnarni nutaarsiassalerisarneq qanoq ingerlasarnersoq. Tamatumuma kingorna misissuiffigineqarput
tusarfiit qanoq pingaaruteqartiginersut, tusagassioriaaseq qanoq ittoq ingerlanneqartarnersoq kiisalu tusarfinnik atorsinnaassusilinnik nassaassaasunillu nassaarsiortarnermi suut unamminartuusarnersut, tassalu tusagassiuinermi sakkut pingaaruteqarluinnartut pineqarlutik.

Tulliullugu oqallisigineqarpoq – kalaallinut atatillugu – apeqqutit sammiuiminaatsut oqaatsinut tunngasut tassalu ulluinnarni tusagassiortutut sulinermi tunngaviusumik anguniarneqartartut aammalu imminni isumalerujussuit. Tusagassiornermut ingerlatamut tunngaannaratik aammali
avatangiisigisat tusagassiorfinni oqaatsinik atuinermi naatsorsuutigisaannut tunngasut taamalu aamma kalaallinik kinaassusiliisut.

Ilisimatuutut allaaserisap takutippaa tusagassiorneq tusagassiorfiillu Kalaallit Nunaanni annertuumik oqallisaasut kiisalu kalaallit tusagassiortut akiorniagassaat nunamut, aningaasaqarnermut aaqqissuussaanermullu tunngasutigut eqqoruminassuseqaannaratik aammali
arlalitsigut oqaatsitigut kulturikkullu akunnattoorutinik nalaanneqartarnermut tunngasartut, tusagassiortutut qanoq suleriaaseqarnermut pingaaruteqartorujussuarnik.

»Avisen er uafhængig af politiske og økonomiske særinteresser« står der ofte i Sermitsiaq og AG’s tillægsaviser. Alligevel kan virksomheder og myndigheder betale for at bestemme, hvad journalisterne skal skrive i dem. I resten af avisen skal selv samme journalister forholde sig kritisk til samme virksomheder. Formår de det?