320-year-old Vienna newspaper Wiener Zeitung ends daily print edition

One of the world’s oldest newspapers, the Vienna-based Wiener Zeitung, ended its daily print run Friday after more than three centuries.

First published under the name Wiennerische’s Diarium, the paper set out to provide a sober account of the news without any oratory or poetic gloss when it was launched on August 8, 1703.

320 years, 12 presidents, 10 emperors, 2 republics, 1 newspaper, the print edition’s final front page read.

The Wiener Zeitung, which is owned by the Austrian government but editorially independent, suffered a sharp decrease in revenue after a recent law dropped a requirement for companies to pay to publish changes to the commercial registry in the print edition.

The newspaper, which is considered a quality publication with a wide range of articles covering domestic and foreign news, culture and business, was forced to cut 63 jobs and reduce its editorial staff by almost two-thirds to 20.

It will continue to operate online and plans a monthly print edition.

In its final daily print edition the paper interviewed one of Austrias most famous exports: actor-turned-politician Arnold Schwarzenegger.

It lamented that, unlike Schwarzenegger’s famous Terminator character, the newspaper won’t be able to make the phrase I’ll be back its motto for the future.

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