– Paper is out. Between 70 and 90 per cent of the newspapers we receive here are sent back. It’s just as bad for leaves, says merchant Rolf Endsjø at Narvesen at Arnageren in Stavanger. – How long will you be selling newspapers? – As long as they sell paper newspapers, I expect that we in Narvesen will sell them. It is the older generation who buy paper newspapers. Endsjø has been in this Narvesen store for four years. It has been the busiest newsstand in Stavanger. The development is clear. Sales of paper are falling, while prices are rising. And that’s not enough: – Sometimes we laugh. We must not hold the newspaper up to the light, because then you will see right through it. That’s how thin it is. Behind the counter are new newspapers to be returned. Photo: Odd Rune Kyllingstad / news The price of newsprint has doubled Rogaland’s Avis is now taking the consequences of the fact that sales of the paper newspaper are steadily declining. From next week, they will halve the number of paper editions per week. From six to three. – The alternative is worse. We are where the users and readers are, and they are not so often in the paper anymore, says editor-in-chief Bjørn Sæbø. There are several newspapers that have done, and will do, the same as Rogaland’s Avis. This applies, among others, to Fredriksstad Blad and Oppland Arbeideravis. Paper newspapers have become too expensive. – The costs of newsprint have doubled in a year’s time. Distribution has become much more expensive. Then we also got a cut in press support of NOK 6 million just before Christmas. We had to do something. The employees of Rogalands Avis have trained loyal readers, in order to keep them as subscribers when a larger part of the content only becomes digital. Sales manager Sekarias Hakin at Rogaland’s Avis helps long-time subscriber Ingebjørg Solbakken. Photo: Odd Rune Kyllingstad / news – I wondered if I should cancel the newspaper when I learned that the paper newspaper is only published three days a week. But then I found out that I’d rather try to adapt, says Ingebjørg Solbakken. She is one of the faithful readers of the newspaper who is on a course to find out in the e-newspaper and online. – I need help to find out, and I get that here. I have had the newspaper for all the years. Now I am retired and enjoy the newspaper for breakfast every morning. Think the paper newspaper will survive The circulation of Norwegian paper newspapers has been steadily declining for almost 30 years. Many have predicted that the paper newspaper will not survive. – I had thought that we would be able to keep the paper newspaper alive a little longer, but now the development is very fast. Fortunately, we have other platforms to offer our content on, says Sæbø. – In most newsrooms there are now plans for what they do with their paper edition after the costs have risen so much. Chief editor Bjørn Sæbø of Rogaland’s Avis here on the right, helps Arvid Åserød (from left) and Leif Førland both with creating passwords and finding them both on the websites and in the e-newspaper that is produced every day. Photo: Odd Rune Kyllingstad / news In the Media Companies’ National Association, they are not surprised that several newspapers are now cutting back on the number of paper editions per week. It is an expected development. Information officer at Mediebedriftenes Landsforening Trine Ohrberg Photo: Mediebedriftenes Landsforening – When we asked Norwegian media managers to predict trends for 2023, it was precisely the change in paper frequency that many highlighted, says information officer Trine Ohrberg. – Is the paper newspaper dying? – I think that will be a very long time. The paper newspaper is very important to many, but I think the paper newspaper will come in a different form than we are used to in the future. I think the most important thing is how Norwegian media houses will reach their users. At Narvesen in Stavanger, Endsjø is not as optimistic. – The curve goes one way. There are costs associated with printing them up and distributing them as well. It is not environmentally friendly either. It’s sad, but that’s progress. Almost all loose-leaf newspapers are thrown away.
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– Almost all the loose newspapers are thrown away – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
