The Austrian newspaper Wiener Zeitung appeared on Friday for the last time as a daily newspaper in the capital Vienna and elsewhere.
Founded in 1703, the newspaper has appeared daily ever since and is one of the oldest surviving newspapers in the world.
“116,840 days, 3,839 months, 320 years, 12 presidents, 10 emperors, 2 republics, 1 newspaper,” read Friday’s front page in simple, large black type.
It was reminiscent of the April 27 issue, when news broke that the newspaper’s circulation was about to end, when the years 1703 and 2023 dominated the cover.
In April, the newspaper learned that its more than three-century-long era of daily print publication was coming to an end. Image: Helmut Fohringer/APA/picturedesk/picture Alliance
In its last issue, the newspaper interviewed Austrian bodybuilding, film and political pioneer Arnold Schwarzenegger and promoted his new biopic and Netflix partnership. He complained that unlike the “Terminator” character, the newspaper couldn’t claim “I’ll be back.”
What is the Wiener Zeitung?
The newspaper, which first appeared under the name “Wienerisches Diarium”, stated in its first edition on August 8, 1703 that it wanted to provide a sober presentation of the news “without oratory or poetic glamor”.
Deputy editors-in-chief Judith Belfkih and Thomas Seifert published an editorial on Friday citing the paper’s reputation for serious analysis of important issues, saying it was a loss for Austria’s daily media landscape.
“These are tumultuous times for quality journalism,” the editorial began. “On more and more platforms, serious content is vying for attention with fake news, cat videos and conspiracy theories.”
Is it the oldest newspaper in the world?
That depends in part on how you define the title, e.g. B. whether it must continue to be printed daily or whether it should continue to be printed in its original city.
The newspaper billed itself as the world’s longest running daily newspaper still in print, although several other European publications may be attempting to lay claim to this or a similar accolade, including but not limited to the Gazzetta di Mantova (established 1664) . in northern Italy, which has moved from Mantua to Milan in recent years.
But according to the Wiener Zeitung, the Hildesheimer Allgemeine Zeitung (founded in 1705) is now taking over in the German state of Lower Saxony, a claim that certainly seems undisputed among German-language newspapers.
Why is it downsized?
The Wiener Zeitung is editorially independent but owned by the Austrian government. Print circulation is solid but modest, about 20,000 copies on weekdays and about double that on weekends.
The company suffered a sharp drop in sales after a recent change in the law removed the obligation for companies to pay a fee to publish changes in the commercial register in the hard copy. This role as Official Journal had become its main source of income, but was relocated to an online government register as the Austrian government stated it was necessary to comply with EU standards for making public information available online.
This change ultimately forced the newspaper to cut a total of 63 jobs, reducing its journalistic staff from 55 to 20 people.
Belfkih and Seifert complained that the Austrian government had missed a “chance of the century” to find a new “financing model linked to quality criteria” that could have offered itself and the state broadcaster ORF, which had come under pressure, long-term security.
Nevertheless, the headline and conclusion of the article alluded to the German and English saying “Hope dies last” and asked rhetorically whether “a new government will seize this opportunity again/still/nevertheless”.
What’s next?
The newspaper does not dissolve completely. It will continue to be available online and a monthly print edition is planned, although the details are yet to be set in stone.
msh/nm (AFP, AP, dpa)