fréttastofa

Fréttastofa is the Icelandic term for the newsroom or news desk of a media organization. It is used to describe the department responsible for gathering, verifying, and presenting news for radio, television, and online platforms; in some outlets, fréstastofa is also the name of a particular news program. The word combines frétt, meaning news, with stofa, meaning room or office.

The frétastofa coordinates reporting, editing, and production work. Its functions include assigning assignments to reporters, coordinating with correspondents, preparing scripts, writing articles, editing copy, fact-checking, producing segments, and distributing content across broadcast and online channels. In many organizations, the newsroom also sets editorial priorities and ensures consistency of style and tone across a programs and platforms.

In the modern media landscape, frétastofa operate across multiple platforms, including live broadcasts, online news portals, and social media. They rely on newsroom systems, content management systems, and live production workflows to manage breaking news, updates, and multimedia content. The staff typically includes journalists, editors (ritstjórar, fréttastjórar), researchers, producers, and technical personnel, all working under newsroom procedures and journalistic standards.

Overall, the frétastofa plays a central role in how news is gathered, processed, and delivered to audiences within Icelandic media, serving as the hub where information is transformed into reported news for various formats.