End of the paper newspaper Nytt i Uka

Advertising revenue has seen a sharp decline over time and the company is in demanding financial condition. Nytt i Uka writes that it will publish its last paper edition on June 26 Among its websites is AESby.no.

– Unfortunately the sharp decline in advertising revenue means that the operating base is no longer there. Nytt i Uka is one of the last free newspapers in the country, and despite several cost-saving measures in recent years, the company has major financial challenges, says chairman Frank Støyva Emblem.

– It is with heavy hearts that we have now taken the decision to close Nytt i Uka. We are very sorry for this, because we know that many people are happy with the newspaper. But further implementation of this will be very demanding for both the owner and the employees, says the symbol.

AESby.no will continue to operate

The parent company Sunnmørsposten AS and the subsidiary Media Vest AS are now in the process of merging and will carry out a business transfer within a short period of time. This ensures that the local online newspaper AESby.no will continue to operate, and that employees will be offered employment at Sunnmørsposten.

– From July 1, the online newspaper will be placed under the editorship and responsible editor of Sunmoresbosten, and will be operated from there, the logo clarifies.

The Board of Media Vest AS would like to thank all its loyal readers, writers and advertisers. Nytt i Uka has been an important part of civic, cultural life and commerce in Ålesund for nearly 40 years, according to the lawsuit published on AESby.no.

– The era of “free newspapers” is over

Editor and Managing Director of Nytt i Uka, Kåre Stig Nøstdal writes this in a comment.

– The era of “free newspapers” is over and it's here to stay, writes Kåre Stig Nøstdal, editor and managing director of Nytt i Uka. A Comment on AESby Tuesday night.

– Despite the fact that we have reorganized and reduced costs, we still have many good advertising clients, although many of the newspaper have gone further than I expected. Simply not enough, he writes.

– There is great respect for the efforts of the employees at Media Vest, who have fought both to save the paper newspaper Nytt i Uka and at the same time to develop the online newspaper AESby.no, says editor in charge of Sunnmørsposten, Hanna Relling Berg.

– Together with the staff, work begins now to set up further courses for AESby.no and to strengthen the supply of local products from Ålesund.

– Needed more than ever

– Nytt i Uka emerged directly from the bankruptcy of Sunnmøre Arbeiderblad and is the oldest free newspaper in the country. In that sense, it has gone against the grain for these 40 years, says Johan Roppen, professor of journalism at the University of Volta.

That it's over now says something about the evolution of media, according to Roppen. Paper newspapers have been in decline for years, and several large Norwegian paper newspapers are decreasing in frequency. At the same time, readers are drawn online.

– AESby.no is trying to switch from a free paper newspaper to a paid online newspaper. Norway has the largest population in the world willing to pay for editorial content. From this perspective, one can hope that the AESby website will succeed, but it's hard to know how it will go, says Roppen.

For a city like Ålesund, diversity in the local media image is more important than ever, Röppen believes.

– In the political and municipal environment, great things are happening both in Ålesund and the county. From a democratic point of view, we may need someone who can act as an additional channel for Sunmorsposten. Although there are other newspapers in the region besides NRK Møre og Romsdal, the city benefits from having multiple channels.