Aftenposten

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.