The “Wiener Zeitung” last appeared as a printed daily after 320 years. It first appeared on the market on August 8, 1703 – then as the “Vienna diarium” – and was therefore the oldest daily newspaper in the world still appearing.
In the future, the newspaper, which belongs to the Republic of Austria, will be run mainly as an online medium, with the editorial staff significantly reduced to about 20 people. The switch is based on a government law that has been the subject of fierce criticism.
On Thursday evening, the printing presses for the “Wiener Zeitung” were turned on for the last time in the Herold printing house in Vienna’s 3rd district. The newspapers rattled down the hall one last time and were wrapped up. Many of the staff were present, including Thomas Seifert and Judith Belfkih, who had recently led the editorial staff on an interim basis.
Regarding the government’s decision, Seifert spoke to the APA of a “media-political act of vandalism by cultureless barbarians.” He feels a mixture of anger, melancholy and sadness at the end of 320 years of newspaper history. The government failed to find a buyer. Former editor-in-chief Walter Hämmerle was also present. “What an incredibly pointless undertaking. I think the decision makers feel that simply ending this long tradition is a monumental mistake,” he said.
Last edition full of nostalgia
“The last issue is filled with nostalgia. We remember the newspaper’s long history and bow to the readers,” said Seifert. On the mostly white front page, the newspaper’s history is illustrated by several numbers: “116,840 days, 3839 months, 320 years, twelve presidents, ten emperors, two republics, one newspaper”.
Inside the magazine are interviews with the two former chancellors Franz Vranitzky and Wolfgang Bowl and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Former Federal President Heinz Fischer pays his last respects to the “Wiener Zeitung”, and the editors say goodbye with short texts. The circulation of the last issue was increased to 50,000 copies, well above the normal level. The scope has also been expanded.
The reason for the amendment of the law by the black-green federal government was that the mandatory publications in the official gazette of the “Wiener Zeitung” were no longer necessary, causing the majority of sales of the Wiener Zeitung GmbH to collapse. The publications of the companies will be digital in the future. Each year, 16.5 million euros are reserved from the budget for Wiener Zeitung GmbH. Of this, EUR 7.5 million is reserved for the editorial staff, EUR 6 million for a “Media Hub Austria”, which is intended to provide practice-oriented journalistic training.
Online presence starts on Saturday
The new online presence of the “Wiener Zeitung” starts on Saturday. “The new ‘Wiener Zeitung’ has the task of promoting understanding of political issues, consolidating democratic awareness and strengthening the willingness to participate in politics,” said Martin Fleischhacker, CEO of the Wiener Zeitung, when asked by APA. They want to score with “solution-oriented journalism and data journalism”. Daily news is deliberately avoided, other media houses are not seen as competition.
The change is accompanied by a significant reduction in staff. A total of 63 contract terminations are planned company-wide, 35 of which are from the editorial board. The editor-in-chief leaves and three staff representatives are also released. In the future, about 20 people will be permanently employed at the editorial office.
Press club Concordia spoke of an “undignified end” and an “opaque restart” in view of the closure of the daily newspaper. “This law is a low point in the media policy of this country, which has not been very high until now,” said Concordia chairman Andreas Koller. The Republic as owner would have had a moral obligation to develop a viable concept for the future.
Babler: “Bitter day for Austria”
SPÖ boss Andreas Babler called a “bitter day for Austria as a media location and a country of culture”. He did not want to accept this “media policy scandal” and stressed that he was looking for ways and means to get the “Wiener Zeitung” back as a printed daily once government responsibility was restored.
NEOS media spokeswoman Henrike Brandstötter spoke of a “total failure of the government”. The world’s oldest daily newspaper died to celebrate its resurrection as a government PR machine. “This is another big step towards the media system a la Orbán.”
Number of dailies shrinks to 13
With the closure of the “Wiener Zeitung”, the number of daily newspapers in this country is reduced to 13. “Die Presse” takes over the scepter for Austria’s oldest daily newspaper. It was first published in 1848 and will soon celebrate its 175th anniversary.
From a global perspective, the “Hildesheimer Allgemeine Zeitung” is the new oldest daily newspaper still published in the world as of July 1. The first issue of the German newspaper appeared on June 24, 1705, more than a year later than the Wiener Zeitung.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
