Sweden
Worlds oldest newspaper now online onlyPosted Feb 25 2007
The world’s oldest newspaper still in publication, Post-och Inrikes Tidningar out of Sweden, has converted from paper press to online only. The newspaper was first produced in 1645. The final print issue of the newspaper was printed for 1,500 subscribers on Dec. 29 and the publication made its crossover on Jan. 1. Queen Kristina founded the newspaper, and it continues 362 years later as an online and official government publication. Originally, the queen used the newspaper to keep Swedish citizens informed on matters of the state. Now, however, the newspaper reports mainly on corporate and government issues. Agence France-Presse broke the story first. “The change in format is of course a major departure, for some possibly a little sad, but it is also a natural step,” Roland Haegglund, the publication’s new editor, told AFP. Haegglund is now the newspaper’s only employee. Post-och Inrikes Tidningar will remain the world’s oldest newspaper despite its conversion to digital format because it has not ceased to publish.