World's oldest newspaper gives up on paper

THE WORLD'S oldest print newspaper has finally said sod it to inky thumbs and the printing press, having switched to digital only.

Sweden's Post-och Inrikes Tidningar, now with an equally catchy URL, was founded in 1645 by Sweden's Queen Kristina, making it even older than Kronenbourg. But when new year 2007 turned, Post-och thought it best to move on over to the web only.

Devotees of the aging rag aren't too pleased about the move. Hans Holm, chief editor of the paper for 20 years, reckons the switch to be a "cultural disaster," going on to say that "it is sad when you have worked with it for so long and it has been around for so long," in a typically Swedish fashion.

The paper is by no means the most popular in Sweden, managing a circulation of around 1,000 copies, but it does have a history. Post-och was started by Queen Kristina to keep her subjects up to date on affairs of state, and copies were carried by couriers and posted around cities and towns all over Sweden.

These days the paper runs legal announcements by corporations, courts and government agencies. So, kind of the same, but not.

Despite moving over to the World Wibble, Post-och Inrikes Tidingar will stay at the top spot of the oldest newspapers still in circulation, a list compiled by the World Association of Newspapers, because "an online newspaper is still a newspaper."

We'd like to point out that the INQ was founded at 1644,* so please, credit where it is due. Thanks. µ

L'INQ
The Grauniad

* About a quarter to five