The oldest national newspaper in the world printed its last daily edition after running for around 320 years, marking the end of an era. 
 
Vienna-based daily newspaper, Wiener Zeitung, won't be able to print daily editions after a recent change in the law gave it the label of a print product which is not profitable. 
 
The law, which the coalition government in Austria brought in April, stopped the legal requirement for companies to pay money for publishing public announcements in the newspaper's print edition, terminating the role of Wiener Zeitung as an official gazette.

This change in law led to the publisher's loss of income by around €18 million (approx. $19 million), as per Der Spiegel, and forced the paper to cut down its editorial staff from 55 to 20, and lay off 63 people overall.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australia-newspaper-apologises-for-coverage-of-1838-indigenous-massacre-602719">Australian newspaper apologises for coverage of 1838 Indigenous massacre</a>

<h2>Online media to survive</h2>

The company will continue publishing online and is aiming at distributing a monthly print edition. However, the plan for the monthly edition is still in development. 
 
The newspaper, which the Austrian government owns but remains editorially independent, started publishing in August 1703 and has witnessed 12 presidents, 10 kaisers and two republics. In the newspaper's first edition, it had claimed that it will provide&nbsp;a straightforward account of the news “without any oratory or poetic gloss”. 
 
In 1768, the newspaper reported about a concert which starred an “especially talented” 12-year-old. The boy's name was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. 
 
When Austria faced defeat in the first world war, a special edition was published in the paper which featured the last Habsburg emperor Kaiser Karl's abdication letter.

WATCH |&nbsp;Fortress-led group set to buy Vice Media

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<h2>An era comes to an end</h2>

In the last daily print edition published on Friday, the newspaper featured an editorial which blamed the new law of the government for the end of its print run. The newspaper stated, “These are stormy times for quality journalism … On more and more platforms, serious content vies for attention with fake news, cat videos and conspiracy theories.” 
 
In April, the newspaper's circulation was just 20,000 on weekdays, although the figure doubled on weekends. Among the list of its final interviewees were Arnold Schwarzenegger, former Austrian chancellors Franz Vranitzky and Wolfgang Schüssel. 
 
EU Commission vice-president Věra Jourova, speaking to the Austrian news agency APA, said that she was “not happy with the situation” at the newspaper. “I think the Wiener Zeitung played a good role in informing people over the years,” she added. 
 
In its three centuries of printing, the newspaper had to shut down only once when Austria was incorporated into Hitler’s Germany and the Nazis closed the paper in 1939. The newspaper began printing again in 1945 while Austria was still under Allied occupation.

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The oldest national newspaper in the world printed its last daily edition after running for around 320 years, marking the end of an era. Vienna-based daily newspaper, Wiener Zeitung, won't be able to print daily editions after a recent change in the law gave it the label of a print product which is not profitable.

The oldest national newspaper in the world printed its last daily edition after running for around 320 years, marking the end of an era. Vienna-based daily newspaper, Wiener Zeitung, won't be able to print daily editions after a recent change in the law gave it the label of a print product which is not profitable. The law, which the coalition government in Austria brought in April, stopped the legal requirement for companies to pay money for publishing public announcements in the newspaper's print edition, terminating the role of Wiener Zeitung as an official gazette. This change in law led to the publisher's loss of income by around €18 million (approx. $19 million), as per Der Spiegel, and forced the paper to cut down its editorial staff from 55 to 20, and lay off 63 people overall. ALSO READ | Australian newspaper apologises for coverage of 1838 Indigenous massacre Online media to survive The company will continue publishing online and is aiming at distributing a monthly print edition. However, the plan for the monthly edition is still in development. The newspaper, which the Austrian government owns but remains editorially independent, started publishing in August 1703 and has witnessed 12 presidents, 10 kaisers and two republics. In the newspaper's first edition, it had claimed that it will provide a straightforward account of the news “without any oratory or poetic gloss”. In 1768, the newspaper reported about a concert which starred an “especially talented” 12-year-old. The boy's name was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. When Austria faced defeat in the first world war, a special edition was published in the paper which featured the last Habsburg emperor Kaiser Karl's abdication letter. WATCH | Fortress-led group set to buy Vice Media An era comes to an end In the last daily print edition published on Friday, the newspaper featured an editorial which blamed the new law of the government for the end of its print run. The newspaper stated, “These are stormy times for quality journalism … On more and more platforms, serious content vies for attention with fake news, cat videos and conspiracy theories.” In April, the newspaper's circulation was just 20,000 on weekdays, although the figure doubled on weekends. Among the list of its final interviewees were Arnold Schwarzenegger, former Austrian chancellors Franz Vranitzky and Wolfgang Schüssel. EU Commission vice-president Věra Jourova, speaking to the Austrian news agency APA, said that she was “not happy with the situation” at the newspaper. “I think the Wiener Zeitung played a good role in informing people over the years,” she added. In its three centuries of printing, the newspaper had to shut down only once when Austria was incorporated into Hitler’s Germany and the Nazis closed the paper in 1939. The newspaper began printing again in 1945 while Austria was still under Allied occupation. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

After 320 years, last edition of world’s oldest national newspaper goes into press

Every Thursday without fail,&nbsp;90-year-old Frans Hugo travels to distribute newspapers in the South African desert, packing a flask full&nbsp;of coffee, some boiled eggs, and a towel to cover his bare legs from the sweltering heat. This aged&nbsp;editor has been travelling the 1,200-kilometer (750-mile) round trip across the semiarid Karoo area of the country every week.&nbsp;This has been his routine&nbsp;for around 40 years, as reported by AFP.&nbsp;

He was perhaps the last bastion of a dwindling industry when he was born Charl Francois Hugo in Cape Town in 1932, but everyone just calls him Frans.

The Messenger, Die Noordwester, and Die Oewernuus are three of the community newspapers that the active nonagenarian edits and hand-delivers.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo">Hugo distributes news to the towns and villages dotted throughout this vast, arid backcountry while driving an orange Fiat Multipla loaded with copies of the eight-page weeklies and a vintage portable radio to keep him company.</div>

<img alt="picture" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="268bdee8-c0e9-4ad5-8e14-c38ec50b8f62" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/f9578c3232746b2e2942a6d8298ef8ae_0.jpeg" />

Frans Hugo, 90, drives 1,200 kilometres every week to distribute his three newspapers, which he owns and edits in South Africa's rural Karoo. (AFP)

<h2>Moving&nbsp;to the countryside to take a break&nbsp;</h2>

He sets off at 1:30 in the morning from Calvinia, a little town of fewer than 3,000 people located roughly 500 kilometres north of Africa's southernmost tip, and returns in the early evening.

"I am like a pompdonkie," he told AFP on a recent tour, using the local moniker for the nodding donkey pumps used to extract groundwater from boreholes.

Also watch |&nbsp;World of Africa: Vibrant South African designs

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&nbsp;

"I keep doing this every Thursday without fail. I will probably stop when I am physically not capable of doing it anymore."

Hugo worked as a journalist in Cape Town and then in Namibia for almost 30 years before moving to this remote area.&nbsp;

<img alt="picture" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="1f09fc67-e7cf-4509-98cc-0e799ab86d3a" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/f8f5b07a8f01956370d18893ec702620.jpeg" />

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo">&nbsp;</div>

Although there is a decline in readership, newspapers have survived the internet's onslaught.&nbsp;(AFP)

"I couldn't handle the pressure anymore, so I moved to the Karoo," he told AFP.&nbsp;

"Just as I was able to take a breath and relax, the man who owned the printers and the newspaper here in Calvinia came to ask me if I was interested in the business."

<h2>Surviving in the digital age</h2>

While many printed newspapers worldwide are fighting to survive the digital era, he has managed to keep certain classic small-town publications alive with the help of his wife and three helpers. The Messenger, formerly the Victoria West Messenger, was established in 1875, whilst Die Noordwester and Die Oewernuus began publishing in the 1900s.

All three are published in Afrikaans, one of South Africa's 11 official languages and a language of Dutch settlers, however they occasionally contain English-language content.

Hugo shrugs at those who want to "read the news on their cell&nbsp;phones."

<img alt="picture" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="46e1d412-d5de-4fc5-ba84-85039dd7b058" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/9c4ee61bb885cc5d5050383d1ba6c684.jpeg" />

Newspapers in the Afrikaans language include The Messenger, Die Noordwester, and Die Oewernuus.&nbsp;(AFP)

The growth of the internet has affected reading, but it doesn't appear to have reached his newsroom, which resembles a museum.

The office is decorated with a vintage Heidelberg printing press and paper cutters. The staff makes use of early 1990s-era computers and software.

Hugo claims that despite this, there is a never-ending desire for local news since his staff publishes roughly 1,300 copies every week.

The newspapers, which cost eight rand (about 50 cents), are left at businesses, convenience stores, and the residences of the correspondents.

Farmers who reside in a distant, semi-arid area make up the majority of the readers.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Every Thursday without fail, 90-year-old Frans Hugo travels to distribute newspapers in the South African desert, packing a flask full of coffee, some boiled eggs, and a towel to cover his bare legs from the sweltering heat.

Every Thursday without fail, 90-year-old Frans Hugo travels to distribute newspapers in the South African desert, packing a flask full of coffee, some boiled eggs, and a towel to cover his bare legs from the sweltering heat. This aged editor has been travelling the 1,200-kilometer (750-mile) round trip across the semiarid Karoo area of the country every week. This has been his routine for around 40 years, as reported by AFP. He was perhaps the last bastion of a dwindling industry when he was born Charl Francois Hugo in Cape Town in 1932, but everyone just calls him Frans. The Messenger, Die Noordwester, and Die Oewernuus are three of the community newspapers that the active nonagenarian edits and hand-delivers. Hugo distributes news to the towns and villages dotted throughout this vast, arid backcountry while driving an orange Fiat Multipla loaded with copies of the eight-page weeklies and a vintage portable radio to keep him company. Frans Hugo, 90, drives 1,200 kilometres every week to distribute his three newspapers, which he owns and edits in South Africa's rural Karoo. (AFP) Moving to the countryside to take a break He sets off at 1:30 in the morning from Calvinia, a little town of fewer than 3,000 people located roughly 500 kilometres north of Africa's southernmost tip, and returns in the early evening. "I am like a pompdonkie," he told AFP on a recent tour, using the local moniker for the nodding donkey pumps used to extract groundwater from boreholes. Also watch | World of Africa: Vibrant South African designs "I keep doing this every Thursday without fail. I will probably stop when I am physically not capable of doing it anymore." Hugo worked as a journalist in Cape Town and then in Namibia for almost 30 years before moving to this remote area. Although there is a decline in readership, newspapers have survived the internet's onslaught. (AFP) "I couldn't handle the pressure anymore, so I moved to the Karoo," he told AFP. "Just as I was able to take a breath and relax, the man who owned the printers and the newspaper here in Calvinia came to ask me if I was interested in the business." Surviving in the digital age While many printed newspapers worldwide are fighting to survive the digital era, he has managed to keep certain classic small-town publications alive with the help of his wife and three helpers. The Messenger, formerly the Victoria West Messenger, was established in 1875, whilst Die Noordwester and Die Oewernuus began publishing in the 1900s. All three are published in Afrikaans, one of South Africa's 11 official languages and a language of Dutch settlers, however they occasionally contain English-language content. Hugo shrugs at those who want to "read the news on their cell phones." Newspapers in the Afrikaans language include The Messenger, Die Noordwester, and Die Oewernuus. (AFP) The growth of the internet has affected reading, but it doesn't appear to have reached his newsroom, which resembles a museum. The office is decorated with a vintage Heidelberg printing press and paper cutters. The staff makes use of early 1990s-era computers and software. Hugo claims that despite this, there is a never-ending desire for local news since his staff publishes roughly 1,300 copies every week. The newspapers, which cost eight rand (about 50 cents), are left at businesses, convenience stores, and the residences of the correspondents. Farmers who reside in a distant, semi-arid area make up the majority of the readers. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Meet S. Africa's Frans Hugo: 90-year-old journalist who delivers news in the desert

Social media has overtaken print newspapers as a news source for Americans, researchers said Monday, highlighting the growing importance of services such as Facebook and <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/twitter-ceo-jack-dorsey-slammed-after-he-tweets-about-everything-in-myanmar-but-rohingya-crisis-182891">Twitter</a> as well as the troubled state of legacy news organizations.

The Pew Research Centre report found 20 percent of US adults say they often get news via <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/opinion-misinformation-and-biases-infect-social-media-both-intentionally-and-accidentally-146321">social media</a>, compared with 16 percent from newspapers.

In 2016, newspapers were more important that social networks and in 2017 the percentages were roughly even for both sources, according to Pew surveys.

Despite the rise of social media, television remains the most important source for news, cited by 49 percent of American adults, Pew said.

The researchers found sharp differences among age segments in accessing the news, with younger adults far more likely to rely on social media and older consumers favoring television and print.

In the 18-29 age group, social media was the most important news source, cited by nearly three in 10 respondents, with only two percent favoring print newspapers.

A large majority of those 65 and older (81 percent) get news from television, with 39 percent using print newspapers and just eight percent social networks.

"Younger Americans are also unique in that they don't rely on one platform in the way that the majority of their elders rely on TV," said Pew research analyst Elisa Shearer.

"No more than half of those (aged) 18 to 29 and 30 to 49 get news often from any one news platform."

The report, based on a survey of 4,581 US adults in July and August, highlights the ongoing woes of print newspapers, which have been seeing steady readership declines for more than a decade.

A Pew study last year showed total US daily newspaper circulation (print and digital combined) in 2017 was 31 million for weekday and 34 million for Sunday, down 11 and 10 percent, respectively, from the previous year.

Social media has overtaken print newspapers as a news source for Americans, researchers said Monday, highlighting the growing importance of services such as Facebook and Twitter as well as the troubled state of legacy news organizations.

Social media has overtaken print newspapers as a news source for Americans, researchers said Monday, highlighting the growing importance of services such as Facebook and Twitter as well as the troubled state of legacy news organizations. The Pew Research Centre report found 20 percent of US adults say they often get news via social media, compared with 16 percent from newspapers. In 2016, newspapers were more important that social networks and in 2017 the percentages were roughly even for both sources, according to Pew surveys. Despite the rise of social media, television remains the most important source for news, cited by 49 percent of American adults, Pew said. The researchers found sharp differences among age segments in accessing the news, with younger adults far more likely to rely on social media and older consumers favoring television and print. In the 18-29 age group, social media was the most important news source, cited by nearly three in 10 respondents, with only two percent favoring print newspapers. A large majority of those 65 and older (81 percent) get news from television, with 39 percent using print newspapers and just eight percent social networks. "Younger Americans are also unique in that they don't rely on one platform in the way that the majority of their elders rely on TV," said Pew research analyst Elisa Shearer. "No more than half of those (aged) 18 to 29 and 30 to 49 get news often from any one news platform." The report, based on a survey of 4,581 US adults in July and August, highlights the ongoing woes of print newspapers, which have been seeing steady readership declines for more than a decade. A Pew study last year showed total US daily newspaper circulation (print and digital combined) in 2017 was 31 million for weekday and 34 million for Sunday, down 11 and 10 percent, respectively, from the previous year.

Social media has overtaken print as news source for Americans: Pew

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After 320 years, last edition of world’s oldest national newspaper goes into press

Meet S. Africa's Frans Hugo: 90-year-old journalist who delivers news in the desert

Social media has overtaken print as news source for Americans: Pew