Norway’s largest newspaper, Aftenposten, announced on Wednesday that it will drop its Sunday edition right after New Year. The paper’s editor-in-chief, Trine Eilertsen, blamed a sharp rise in costs and admitted that subscribers won’t see their subscription rates cut accordingly.
“Increased rates for electricity and distribution meant that we increased the price of the paper edition this year and will increase it next year, too,” Eilertsen told Journalisten. She noted that a Sunday edition will still be available, but only online.
“I think this is sad,” Eilertsen said. “I really like the paper edition and I know that those who read us seven days a week like it, too. I wish we weren’t being forced to to this.” She said the costs of producing the paper edition “nearly doubled” at the end of the summer, “and we use the most paper in Norway, so something had to be done.”
Sunday papers don’t have a long history in Norway, like the do in other countries like the US and Great Britain. Sunday was traditionally a day off in Norway, with many retail stores still not allowed to open, but newspapers started offering a Sunday edition around 25 years ago. They’ve often been thinner than daily papers, also opposite the trend elsewhere. After January 1, newspaper VG will offer the only Sunday paper in Norway.
Eilertsen said Aftenposten’s Saturday paper will now be expanded with its own magazine containing crossword puzzles and a quiz.
NewsinEnglish.no staff
