Prime Minister of the Greenland Home Rule Government Mr Hans Enoksen
P.O. Box 1015
DK-3900 Nuuk
Greenland

7 March 2006

Dear Prime Minister,

We are writing on behalf of the World Association of Newspapers and the World Editors Forum, which represent 18,000 publications in 102 countries, to express our serious concern at home-rule government budget proposals that threaten the existence of Greenland’s two newspapers.

According to reports, later this month parliament will consider a proposal to halt the current subsidy of 50 percent of the distribution costs of Greenland’s two newspapers, Atuagagdliutit and Sermitsiaq. At the same time Post Greenland, which is owned by the home-rule government, will increase the tariff for mailing newspapers by more than 300 percent. The size, climate and population spread of Greenland make the costs of newspaper distribution extremely high and, without subsidies, possibly unsustainable.

We are concerned that the removal of the subsidy will have a serious negative impact on freedom of expression by restricting access to criticism and debate. Readers, particularly those in the remotest areas, will bear the brunt of the budget proposals: those who can afford the price rise will have to pay significantly more than the current 20 Danish kroner for their newspaper, while many more may no longer be able to afford to buy a newspaper at all. Moreover, there is also the real possibility that one or both of the newspapers will be forced to close.

We are also concerned at what appears to be the singling out of the written press for harsh financial treatment. National television and radio is owned by the home-rule government and provided with funding of more than 83 million Danish kroner per year. The distribution subsidy sought by Atuagagdliutit and Sermitsiaq amounts to less than 3 million Danish kroner. We also note that both newspapers are owned by private foundations, so any profits earned are reinvested and not distributed to shareholders.

We respectfully call on you to do everything possible to ensure that parliament maintains the current subsidy of newspaper distribution costs so that all the people of Greenland are able to continue reading newspapers and take full part in the civic life of your country.

We look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.

Yours sincerely,

Gavin O’Reilly
President
World Association of Newspapers

George Brock
President
World Editors Forum

cc : Prime Minister Mr Anders Fogh Rasmussen
Danish Association of Newspapers

WAN is the global organization for the newspaper industry, with formal representative status at the United Nations, UNESCO and the Council of Europe. The organization groups 18,000 newspapers in 102 countries, 11 news agencies and nine regional and world-wide press groups. WAN is non-governmental and non-profit.