04 Class - Fourth Lecture-1

7/31/2019 04 Class - Fourth Lecture-1

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UNIVERSITY OF BERGENDept. of Information Science and Media Studies

Helge stbye

The Norwegian Press:History and Structure

Monday, February 14th 2011

Mevi110 Introduction to Media Studies

and the Norwegian Media System

Helge stbye

Three facts about Newspapers in Norway:

Few countries in Europe havemore newspaper titles thanNorway

Hardly any country in the worldhave a higher newspaperconsumption than Norway

Almost all groups in the countryread newspapers on a regularbasis

Helge stbye

Re. fact : The number of newspaper titles in someEuropean countries

Number of National and Local Daily Paid-forNewspapers 2008

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400

Germany

SpainUK

France

ItalySweden

Norway

FinlandDenmark

The Neterlands

BelgiumAustriaEstonia

Source: World Press Trends(2009)

Helge stbye

Re. fact : Newspaper consumption in some countries

Newspaper consumption (paid-for dailies):Circulation per 1000 adult population0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800

JapanNorwayFinland

Switzerland

AustriaUK

GermanyThe Netherlands

DenmarkEstonia

FranceItaly

ChinaPortugal

EgyptSyria

Ethiopia

Source: World Press Trends(2009)

Helge stbye

Re. fact : Newspaper reading in sociodemographic groupsin Norway

% Newspaper readers on an average day 2009 (and

1991)

0

25

50

75

100

Men

Wom

en

9-15

yrs

16-24

25-44

45-66

67-79

Low

educ

.

Medium

High

2009 1991

Helge stbye

This lecture: Links to the reading list:

Bakke, Liv Mari and Nina Bjrnstad (2006) Norway, in Eva Harrie

(ed) Media Trends 2006 in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway

and Sweden. Radio, TV and Internet. Stockholm: Nordicom

Bastiansen, Henrik (2008) Media History and the Study of

Media Systems, in Media History(14)1: 95-112

Krumsvik, Arne (2006) What Is the Strategic Role of Online

Newspapers?, in Nordicom Review27 (2006)2: pp. 285-297

stbye, Helge (1997) Norway, ch. 12 in Bernt Stubbestergaard (ed.): The Media in Western Europa. The

Euromedia Handbook, London: Sage


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Helge stbye

Updated and additional information:

See The Norwegian Press-folder at Mevi110s home page atMy Space:

Updated, factual information can be found at

http://medienorge.uib.no/english/

(English pages unavailable at the moment)

A recent publication can be downloaded from:

http://www.nordicom.gu.se/common/publ_pdf/NMT09%20001-194.pdf

Se also: http://www.nordicom.gu.se/eng.php?portal=mt

Helge stbye

Norwegian Newspaper

History

Helge stbye

Some basic facts about Norwegian History

From 1380 Norway came under Danish rule all national,

Norwegian institution ceased to exist in 1537

1537 Lutheran Protestantism introduced

1660 The introduction of absolute Monarchy

1739 Legislation to create a nationwide school system: Almost

everyone learn to read.

1760s The first Norwegian newspapers

1814 Danish rule in Norway terminated, and after a shortinterregnum when Norway declared its independence in No-vember replaced by a more equal union with Sweden. During the

interregnum, a liberal (relatively democratic) Constitution was

adopted, and this was retained during the union with Sweden.

1905 Full national independence

1940-45 During World War II Norway was occupied by Germany

Helge stbye

1450 1500 1550 1600 1650 1700 1750 1800

1455Gutenberg

1605Thefirstnews-papers

1633First

paperInDen-mark

1645First

paperInSwe-den

1657

First

Danish

langua

-

ge

paper

1763First

newspaperin Norway

1650

first

daily

paper

Helge stbye

May, 25th 1763: The first issue of

Norske Intelligenz-SeddelerinOslo (Christiania)

1765: Bergens Adresse-Contoirs

Efterretninger, in Bergen

1767: Trondhiems Adresse-Con-

toirs Efterretninge, in Trondheim

From 1780: In Kristiansand

From 1810: In the small, rural

community of Volda

In 1808 Two more papers in Oslo,

then a few more papers before1814

A licence from the King was

necessary. Censorship

Helge stbye

1814

May, 17th 1814: The NorwegianConstitution was approved by

The Constituent Assembly at

Eidsvold

Clause 100

guaranties the freedom of the

press

(this clause remained unchanged

until 2004)


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Helge stbye

The first Norwegian newspapers (1763-1830)

Oslo 1763-: NorskeIntelligenz-Seddeler;

Altogether 6 papers in1830

Trondheim 1767-:Adesse-ContoiretsEfterretninger;

1819-1839:Trond-hjemskeLverdagsaften

Bergen 1765-:Adesse-ContoiretsEfterretninger

Volda 1810-16:Norsk Landboeblad/1818: Ugebladet

Fredrikstad 1814:Fredrikstad Tidende

Drammen 1816-:Drammens Tidende

Kristiansand1780.88Chr.sands Ugeblade1790-: Chr. Adr.C.Eft

Skien 1830:Ugeblad for Skien ogOmegn

Helge stbye

Number of newspapers in Norway(1760 - 1940)

0

50

100

150

200

250300

1760 1780 1800 1820 1840 1860 1880 1900 1920 1940

1860 1920: The

big expansion: Newgroups of readers.

Party politicalaffiliation of the

newspapers

1814: TheConstituion;union with

Sweden

1884: Constitutionalcrises. The formation of

two political parties

1905: Fullindependencefrom Sweden

1830 1850:The first expan-

sion: Moretitles, the same

kind of readers

Helge stbye

The expansion 1860 1920

Reduction in print paper prices

More efficient typesetting and printing processes

led to cheaper newspapers

which in turn broadened readership (farmers, teachers,craftsmen, clerks etc, later also working class people) andchanges in the form, content and political orientation ofthe newspapers.

It was cheap to establish a new newspaperNew newspapers appeared in cities and towns whichalready had a newspaper

The first political parties were formed in 1884: Venstre(left - Liberal) and Hyre (right - Conservative). In orderto attract and audience, the newspapers supported one ofthe parties. The newspapers became partisan

Helge stbye

The expansion 1860 1920: The Party Press

The old newspapers tended to support the government, andended up as supporters ofHyre (the Conservative party)

New newspapers tended to support the opposition andended as supporters ofVenstre (the Liberal party)

both these groups of newspapers were usually owned byindividuals or families in the local community

From the beginning of the 1900s, a third party establishednewspapers Arbeiderpartiet (the Labour party). These

papers were usually owned by local party organizations andtrade unions.

Helge stbye

Between World War I and II:

A few Oslo based newspapers had a national distribution, butthe distribution was slow, and

local and regional papers dominated

In places with newspapers, there were usually severalnewspapers, each representing one political party.

e.g. Bergen, 1935:

13 newspapers, of which 7 were dailies

representing 9 different political parties, in addition toone Christian newspaper, one supporting nynorsklanguage, and one focusing on the fishing industry

In March/April 1940: 274 newspapers in 121 locations

Helge stbye

World War II (April 1940 May 1945)

Norway was occupied by Germany and ruled by Germany andthe Norwegian Nazi party

All parties except the Nazi Party were prohibited

Strong censorship

Radio listening became illegal in 1941, and the radioreceivers were confiscated

A lot of newspapers had to close down

This included almost all Labour party papers

More than 50 % of the Liberal newspapers andapproximately 45% of the Conservative papers

A lot of handwritten, typed or printed newssheetsdistributed in Norway by different resistance groups

In April 1945: 112 ordinary newspapers in 96 locations


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Helge stbye

The Post War period: Reconstruction

March/April 1940: 274 newspapers in 121 locationsApril 1945: 112 newspapers in 96 locations

December 1945: 196 newspapers in 121 locations

December 1952: 227 newspapers in 123 locations

1945-50: Most of the pre war press system was reconstructed:a party political press, with competition on most localmarkets

Newspapers that were not disrupted during the war, got along-term advantage on the markets in the post warperiod (audience market, and especially theadvertisements market)

A concentration of readership and advertisements

Helge stbye

More readers

Moreadvertisements

More econo-

mic resources

Better editorialproduct

Etc.

The Circulation Spiral

And a similar, but

opposite, spiral for

the No. 2 papers

Helge stbye

Preserved from the pre war period:

Close links between newspapers and the political parties

Trends in the newspaper structure from the 1950s

More commercial competition on the local markets thelargest paper in each market tries to increase its salesoutside the political congregation

The smaller newspapers in each market ran into difficulties

A strong trend towards local monopolisation

Weakening of the political propaganda

Since the 1950s

Competition on local newspaper markets

Helge stbye

From the 1970s

Formal links between newspapers and political parties areclosed (departification rather than depolitisation)

Small, non-political newspapers grew up outside cities andtowns (offset printing)

From the 1980s:

Newspapers become businesses that could be bought andsold. The newspapers become a part of the commercialsector, in addition to (or: rather than) the political sector

Newspaper chains and media conglomerates appear for thefirst time in Norway

Towns and cities with more than one newspaper becamemore and more rare.

Since the 1950s

Competition on local newspaper markets

Helge stbye

Until 1814: Licensing of newspapers. Varying degree of

censorship and punishment for criticism of the King

Since 1814: The 17th of May Constitution: Freedom of

printing (no censorship, no licensing), but some areas

are exempted

1814 ca 1840: The King ran a shady business with

selective postage subsidies to newspapers and directbriberies to editors

During World War I: The government proposed

legislation that would limit the presss freedom tooffend foreign countries and to take up matters of

national security. This legislation was rejected by the

parliament

Censorship and regulation of content 1760 -2009

Helge stbye

1928: A council with representatives for journalists and

editors, was appointed by the Norwegian Press

Association in order to decide on good practise innews-papers,

1936: A code of press ethics is adopted (called VrVarsom-plakaten). The Council is renamed Pressens

Faglige Utvalg. This system still exists, and

journalists, editors, newspaper owners, radio andtelevision channels etc. are members of the Press

Association and are obliged to follow the ethical

code. A kind ofself controlin the media.

1940-1945: World War II: Norway is occupied by

Germany. Total suspension of Press Freedom.

Censorship and regulation of content 1760 -2009 cont.


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Helge stbye

(1945-1990: The Cold War)1948-1950: A proposed defence law would include the

possibility for the state to introduce media censor-ship in case of war or when the country is

threatened by war. The clauses about press

censorships were stopped following a heated debate.

1948 ca. 1960: Informal agreement among the news

media to support the Norwegian (pro NATO) foreignpolicy. Communists and radical groups within the

Labour Party are more or less excluded from partici-

pating in the debate on Norwegian foreign policy

1985 : Ownership concentration in the press is

regarded as a threat to variety and diversity in the

Norwegian press

Censorship and regulation of content 1760 -2009 cont.

Helge stbye

Todays

Norwegian Newspaper

Structure

Helge stbye

VG (Oslo)

Established in 1945

Circulation: 262 000

Daily readership: 952 000

+ net: 1.5 mill

Owned by Schibsted

Dagbladet (Oslo)

Established in 1869


Used to have links to the

Liberal party

Daily readership: 0,5 mill

+ net: 1,0 mill

Ownership: Independent

Some important Norwegian newspapers

Helge stbye

Aftenposten (Oslo)

Established in 1860

Two daily editions: The morningedition has a regional (EasternNorway) and national distribution.

The afternoon edition (Called Aften)is only distributed in the Oslo area.


(Aften: 112 000)

Daily readership: 695 000

+ net: 630 000

Used to support the Conservative

Party

Owned by Schibsted, part of the

Media Norge Group

Helge stbye

Klassekampen(Oslo)

(Marxist-Leninist)

Circulation: 13 000

Vrt Land (Oslo)(Christian)

Circulation: 26 000

Dagens Nringsliv (Oslo)

(Business newspaper)

Circulation: 80 000

Helge stbye

Bergens Tidende, Bergen

(regional newspaper)

Established: 1869

Former liberal paper

Circulation: 83 000

Owned by Schibsted -Media Nor e

Bergensavisen (BA),Bergen

(local newspaper)

Established: 1922

Former social democraticpaper

Circulation: 25 000

Owned by A-pressen

Dagen Magazinet,Bergen

(regional, Christian

newspaper)

Established: 1919

Circulation: 10 000


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Helge stbye

Adresseavisen,Trondheim

(reg. newspaper)Est.: 1767

Former Conser-

vative paperCirc.: 76 000Is the hub in a

local newspapergroup (Polaris)

Stavanger Aften-blad, Stavanger

(reg. newspaper)

Est.: 1893

Former Liberal

paper

Circ.: 65 000

Owned by Schibsted Media Norge

Fdrelands-vennenr,Kristiansand

(reg. newspaper)

Est.: 1875

Former Lib. paper

Circ.: 34 000

Owned by Schibsted Media Norge

Helge stbye

The structure of Norwegian Newspapers

225Total:

142Local non-dailies

62Local dailies

4Regional papers

7National weeklies

8National opinion

papers

2Popular papers

No. of papers

Based on Hst 2010

Circulation (% of national total)

Localweeklies

Localnon-

dailies

Regional papers

Nationalopnionpapers

Popularpapers

Nationalweeklies

Localdailies

Helge stbye

National, regional and local newspapers

One reason why the number of newspapers inNorway is so high, and also the total circulation,

is that all three levels are well developed.

The national level is not dominant(partly

because of the long distance from Oslo to other

parts of the country, partly because of stronglocal identification)

Not until VG started to send newspapers by air toNorthern Norway and other regions in the mid1960s, it is reasonable to say that a national

press had emerged in Norway

Helge stbye

State subsidies to the press

1935: Newspapers are exempted from PurchaseTax and VAT (which replaced it in 1969)

1960s: Reduction in the number of newspapers

Hardest hit: local no. 2 newspapers

1969: The introduction of a system wherecertain categories of newspapers got direct

subsidies from the state

Important that the state could not influencethe content of the newspapers therefore:strict guidelines and formal criteria for the

system

Helge stbye


Todays system:

Several forms of subsidies.

The two most important are:

Exemption from VAT (Value Added Tax)

Almost all other products and services: a tax of 25%(14% for food; 8% for transpor- tation). Newspapers(and books) are exempted (value: 1 2 000 000 000NOK)

Production grants

A recent evaluation has concluded that the basic structureof the should be continued

Helge stbye


Todays system: Production grants

Fulfil certain criteria for being a newspaper

and

Not paying profits to the owners

and

either: Have 3 or more weekly editions and acirculation of more than 2000

or:have at least one weekly edition and a circulationof more than 1000

and

either: a circulation of less than 6 000

or: is a no. 2 newspaper with a circulation between2000 and 80 000


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Helge stbye


Todays system: Production grantsIn total: The system works for

Small newspapers (up to 6 000)

No. 2 newspapers (up to 80 000)

Some examples (2009):

Bergensavisen (BA): (circulation: 25 178, daily, incl.Sundays) 33,1 mill NOK (19% of total turnover)

Bygdanytt: (circulation: 4536 twice weekly) 1,9 mill NOK(15%)

Sydvesten: (circulation: 2146, weekly) 410 000 NOK (?%)

Bergens Tidende does not receive production grants

Helge stbye


Todays system: Production grantsThe system has been successful in order to

support a wide selection of national opinionpapers

The system has been successful in small, localnewspaper

The system has notbeen successful in preservinglocal no. 2 newspapers. Only a handful of

towns and cities have local competition

Helge stbye

Sami newspapers

The Sami population is an indigenouspeople from Northern Norway,Finland, Sweden and Russia.

40 000 60 000 live in Norway aconcentration in the North, but alsoall over the country; approx. 10%earn their livelihood from traditionalreindeer herding.

Sami is Finno-Ugric language (not anIndo-European language). Most Samipeople speak Norwegian, but there isstrong support for Sami newspapers.

o Sagt (5 per week; 2 700)

o vvir (5 per week; 1 200)

Helge stbye

Ownership concentration

During the party press era:

Each newspaper had its unique set of owners (butwith a central organisation for the trade unions

and the Labour party as a minority shareholder

in the Labour Party newspaper: A-pressen)

With a few exceptions, the newspapers did notpay much profit to their shareholders: if they ran

into profit, the paper spent the surplus oninvestments or more journalists. Low stock

exchange value.

In the early 1980s (the yuppie era): Newspapers and

other media firms became popular amonginvestors

Newspaper owners:

Schibsted: VG (100%),

Aftenposten (morning + Aften)(100%)

Bergens Tidende

Stavanger Aftenblad

Fdrelandsvennen

+ 10 small, local papers

Polaris: 44% *)

2009: These four new-spaper companies weremerged into onecompany: Media Norge,where Schibsted will own51% (now: 80%)

Schibsted is owned by a Norwegian foundation (26%) and otherinvestors (Norwegian and international banks and other financialinvestors). 42 percent foreign ownership.

*) Ordered to sell parts of this investmentbefore they establish Media Norge

Newspaper owners:

A-pressen:

(formed in 1989 by LO (TUC))

Organised all but 2 of the Labour partynewspapers

Has since then bought several formernon-socialist papers

Owns 51 local newspapers all overNorway

50% of TV 2

A-pressen is owned by Trade unions Telenor (the old telephone monopoly, today operating The Norwegian foundation Fritt Ord (fridom of speech)


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Newspaper owners:

Edda (Mecom):

Orkla, a major Norwegian corporation (formermining company), started purchasing mediacompanies in the early 1980s, and becameone of the top three newspaper owners.

2006: Orkla sold all their newspapers to theBritish multinational media company Mecom(established in 2000 by David Montgomery)

The Norwegian division of Mecom is calledEdda

Edda owns 20 Norwegian newspapers

David Montgomery

Newspaper owners:

Polaris Media:

Adresseavisen in Trondheim prepared to join other regionalnewspapers in the Media Norge merger, but was left out.

Adresseavisen, which already owned a handful of local papers inthe Mid Norway region, responded by purchasing a small chainthat Schibsted was forced to sell in order to be allowed tocreate Media Norge. The new company Polaris wasestablished in 2008. In 2009 the group bought 2 papers fromEdda

Owns 20 (+2) newspapers

Owners: Schibsted: 44% (36 % are formally owned by SEB) Must Invest: 15% Local investors: 41%

Why is media ownership important?

It is legitimate for the owners to decide on economic

conditions (spending) in the media firms. Thisinfluences both media structure and the principle line

of content in the individual channels (newspapers)

and the appointment of editors

in some cases (not legitimate in Norway) the ownersmake decision about details about the day-to-day

content

And because the media are important for the society

(freedom of speech, democracy, language, culture, etc.)

Newspaper ownership 2009:

20Edda

49A-pressen20Polaris

225Total

121Others

15Schibsted

No ofpapers

Newspaper circulation 2009, byowner group

Others32 %

A-pressen17 %

Edda10 %

Schib-

sted32 %

Polaris9 %

Owners

In general two motives dominate for the owners:

profits (short or long term economic gain

propaganda/influence (influence on otherpeoples world view, attitudes, actions, etc.; bothordinary people and decision makers)

In Norway there has been a swing from propagandato profit motives since the 1960s

Newspaper Consumption

The total number of newspapers is stable, or increasing

The total circulation of Norwegian newspapers peaked in themid 1990s

Total Circulation- Norwegian newspapers 1969 - 2009

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

1969 1984 1990 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 20

in1

000

Fallen to2,65 mill.

In 2009

Maximum1997:

3,2 mill.


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A worrying sign for the newspapers I: Fewer young people readnewspapers

Percent who read newspaper "yesterday" byage, 1991, 1999 and 2009

0

20

40

60

80

100

915 16-24 25-44 45-66 67-79

1991 1999 2009

NB!

NB!!NB!


A worrying sign for the newspapers II:

People tend to read fewer newspapers

Number of newspapers read yesterday 1991 and 2007

But many now read news on the Internet very often from thenewspapers

1991

OneTwo

None3 or more

2007

None

One

Two

3 or

more

Helge stbye

Newspapers in Norway- In a slow decline, but still an important media

Newspapers reach about the same number of people as television(and more than radio and Internet) on an average day

And newspaper ad-vertising make thesame amount ofmoney as television

advertising

Advertising in Norway(Jan - Sept 2008)

News-papers

Maga-

zines

Televisio

Radio

Internet

Cinema,

othersOutdoor,

direct

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