Jan 27, 2007
World’s oldest newspaper goes digital
As much as I like computers and the internet, this is sad:
The world’s oldest newspaper, Sweden’s Post och Inrikes Tidningar, has embraced the digital age, ending its run as a print publication and opting to be published exclusively on the Internet. Founded in 1645 by Queen Christina, the Post och Inrikes Tidningar (PoIT) - or Post and Domestic Newspapers - was a staple for readers in Sweden throughout the late 17th and 18th century. But its readership dwindled as rival newspapers appeared, confining PoIT primarily to the publication of announcements from publicly listed companies, and financial and legal institutions by the 1900s. While the paper has not covered news stories for more than 100 years, the World Association of Newspapers recognises PoIT as the world’s oldest still in publication. In its electronic format, launched on January 1, PoIT remains the official news organ of the government - a role enshrined in Swedish law - as it has been since the 17th century. “The change in format is of course a major departure, for some possibly a little sad, but it is also a natural step,” PoIT’s new editor-in-chief Roland Haegglund said. Haegglund said he believed the move to the internet would breathe new life into the paper.
“It will definitely widen our readership. Now anyone with internet access can read PoIT free of charge,” said Haegglund. “You couldn’t just chance upon the print version. Now everyone has the chance to be informed.” PoIT enjoyed a monopoly in news coverage until the emergence of competitors such as Aftonbladet in 1879, which remains one of Sweden’s leading daily tabloids. As the number of rival newspapers multiplied, PoIT reduced its news content and by the early 1900s it was no longer the paper of reference for Sweden’s news-reading public. In its final years in print, public company announcements were taking up between 20 and 30 pages - often more than half the paper. The remainder was devoted to material such as announcements of legal proceedings and the Swedish royal family’s official engagements. In 1978, the paper adopted the booklet format and the final print version of the paper – published on December 29, 2006 – had a circulation of around 1,500.