Aftenposten is a big newspaper. It is from a place called Oslo. It tells people the news. Many people read it every day. It has been around for a long time. Do you like to read news?
Aftenposten is a very big newspaper. It is from a city called Oslo. It started a long time ago in 1860. A man named Christian Schibsted started it.
Many people read the news there. It has many workers. Some workers live in other lands. They send news from far away.
This paper tells news from all over. It tells news from home and from the world. People can read it on a computer too.
It is the largest paper in Norway. Many people like to read it every day. It is a very famous paper.
Aftenposten is the largest printed newspaper in Norway. It is based in the city of Oslo. A man named Christian Schibsted started it in 1860. Back then, it had a different name. It was called Christiania Adresseblad. A year later, the name changed to Aftenposten.
The paper has many workers. About 240 people work there. Some workers are correspondents. These are people who live in other places to send news. They work in cities like Washington D.C. and Istanbul. They also work in Kyiv, Brussels, and Moscow.
Aftenposten has many ways to share news. It has a morning paper. It also has an online version at Aftenposten.no. In 2015, the online version had about 1.2 million readers. The paper used to be a large broadsheet. In 2005, it changed to a smaller compact format. It also used to have an evening paper called Aften. That paper stopped coming out in 2012. Today, the company is owned by Schibsted ASA. This is a large company that also owns the newspaper VG.
Aftenposten is the largest printed newspaper in Norway. It is also known as the country's newspaper of record. This means it is a very important source for news. The company is based in the city of Oslo. It is owned by a private company called Schibsted ASA. This same company also owns the newspaper VG. In 2015, the paper sold 211,769 daily copies.
Many people read it online too. The website Aftenposten.no had about 1.2 million readers in 2015.
News travels through many different ways at this paper. There is a morning edition that people read every day. There is also a Friday-morning edition with a special part called A-magasinet. This part has stories about science, politics, and the arts. In the past, they even had an evening paper called Aften. This evening paper focused on news from Oslo and Akershus. It was printed on weekdays and Saturdays until it stopped in 2012.
The paper also uses correspondents to find news. These workers live in places like Kyiv, Brussels, Washington D.C., Moscow, and Istanbul.
Learning about the past helps us understand how the paper changed. Christian Schibsted founded the paper on May 14, 1860. At first, it was named Christiania Adresseblad. One year later, the name changed to Aftenposten. In 1885, the paper began printing two editions every day. In 1886, it became the first Norwegian newspaper to use a rotary press.
A Sunday edition was published until 1919. It came back again much later in 1990. These changes show how the paper grew over many years.
There are many specific facts about the paper's history. In March 2005, it changed from a large broadsheet to a compact format. The paper has around 240 employees working for it. Trine Eilertsen became the editor-in-chief in 2020. During World War II, the paper faced a hard time. German authorities controlled what was printed. The editor-in-chief at that time, H. Nesse, was arrested and sent to a camp.
This was a very difficult period for the newspaper staff.
Language is another big part of the paper's story. From 1860 to 1923, it used a language called Dano-Norwegian. This was a style used in both Norway and Denmark. Later, the paper changed how it spelled words. It moved toward a style called Riksmål. In 2006, the paper began calling its language "Moderate Bokmål."
This helped the paper stay clear for its readers. Just like a road carries cars, language carries ideas to people. Aftenposten uses these words to share news with the whole country.
Aftenposten is Norway's largest printed newspaper by circulation. It serves as the nation's newspaper of record, meaning it is a primary source for important news. The company is headquartered in Oslo. It is a private entity owned entirely by Schibsted ASA. Schibsted also owns VG, Norway's second-largest newspaper. In 2015, the paper sold 211,769 daily copies. This included 172,029 printed copies according to the University of Bergen. The newspaper also has a massive digital presence. In 2015, the online edition at Aftenposten.no had an estimated 1.2 million readers.
The newspaper operates through several distinct editions and formats. The main morning edition provides national and international news. A special Friday-morning edition includes a supplement called A-magasinet. This supplement features articles on science, politics, and the arts. Historically, the paper also published an evening edition named Aften. This edition focused on local news for Oslo and Akershus counties. It was converted to a tabloid format in 1997. The evening publication eventually ended on December 20, 2012. In March 2005, the main paper changed from a large broadsheet to a compact format.
To gather news, Aftenposten uses a network of professional correspondents. These reporters are based in major global cities. As of 2025, they are located in Kyiv, Brussels, Washington D.C., Moscow, and Istanbul. This allows the paper to report on international events directly. The organization employs approximately 240 people. Trine Eilertsen was appointed as the editor-in-chief in 2020. These employees work to maintain the paper's role in Norwegian society.
The history of Aftenposten began in the mid-19th century. Christian Schibsted founded the paper on May 14, 1860. Its original name was Christiania Adresseblad. It was renamed Aftenposten just one year later. The paper has a long history of technological adoption. In 1886, it became the first Norwegian newspaper to purchase a rotary press. Since 1885, the paper has printed two daily editions. A Sunday edition existed until 1919 and was reintroduced in 1990.
The newspaper has faced significant political and social challenges. Historically, Aftenposten described itself as independent and conservative. It aligned closely with the Norwegian Conservative Party. During World War II, the paper suffered under German occupation. The German authorities imposed a Nazi editorial management. The editor-in-chief at that time, H. Nesse, was arrested and imprisoned in a Grini concentration camp. The paper also faced controversies regarding accuracy. In 1926, it wrongly announced Olav Duun as a Nobel Prize winner. In 2007, it apologized after publishing disinformation about a Russian national.
Language has been a central part of the paper's identity. From 1860 to 1923, it used Dano-Norwegian. This was a common written language used in both Norway and Denmark. In 1923, the paper adopted a new spelling standard. This change replaced "soft" consonants with "hard" consonants. In 1928, it adopted a conservative variant of the 1917 spelling standard. This style is similar to the Riksmål standard used today. Aftenposten was a key player in the Norwegian language struggle. It promoted the Riksmål variety against the radical Samnorsk language. Since 2006, the paper has described its language as Moderate Bokmål.
Understanding Aftenposten requires looking at its changing circulation numbers. In 1980, the morning paper had 223,925 readers. By 1999, this number grew to 284,251. However, circulation saw a gradual decline in later years. By 2015, the morning edition sold 211,769 copies. The evening paper, Aften, had a different trajectory. In 1989, it had 193,932 readers. By 2009, its circulation had dropped to 111,566. Meanwhile, the digital side grew. The online readers rose from 620,000 in 2010 to 827,000 in 2015. This shift reflects the broader move from print to digital media.
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