The Norwegian newspaper market
With its just over 4.5 million inhabitants, Norway can still be regarded as a strong newspaper country. On an average day a considerable percentage of 74% of the population (between 9 and 79 years old) still reads a newspaper. In Norway there are about 220 newspapers (thereof 70 daily newspapers). Many papers are of a more local orientation and have only a small circulation – but in relation to the total circulation their importance is nevertheless considerable. The largest Norwegian newspapers are VG (circulation 2006 about 315.000), Aftenposten Morgen (about 250.000) and Dagbladet (about 145.000). VG and Aftenposten both belong to the Schibsted Group, which is one of the largest media companies in Scandinavia. In Norway there is no VAT on newspapers – an advantage which is shared only with the book market. In addition, a part of the Norwegion newspaper benefit since 1969 from a differentiated system of state subsidies. In the first place its aim is to prevent too much concentration on the press market, as well as keeping competition in the individual regions. As in other Scandinavian countries newspapers are distributed mainly by mail (76%) and to a lesser extent through retail (24%). It is an interesting aspect of the newspaper market in Norway that, unlike in its neighbouring countries, so far free papers don’t play any important role. The research centre Nordicom explains this with the existence of the state press subsidy, the topographic situation of the country, the readers’ loyalty to their regional newspapers and with the fact, that the largest newspaper association has until recently prohibited the publication of free newspapers by its members.

Sources: www.ejc.nl / medienorge.uib.no / World Press Trends 2006