Norway's newspaper of record has a complex history of influence and controversy
In short: Founded in 1860, Aftenposten stands as Norway's largest printed newspaper and a central pillar of the nation's media landscape. While it has long served as a prestigious independent centre-right voice, its legacy is marked by significant editorial scandals, linguistic battles, and a complicated relationship with shifting political tides.
Established by Christian Schibsted in 1860 as Christiania Adresseblad, the publication was renamed Aftenposten the following year. It has evolved from a conservative, party-aligned outlet into an independent centre-right newspaper of record. Its influence once extended far beyond news reporting; during the mid-20th century, the paper became the primary champion of the Riksmål language movement. By resisting the government-promoted Samnorsk, which sought to merge Bokmål with Nynorsk, Aftenposten helped shape the modern Norwegian language standard, eventually adopting 'Moderate Bokmål' in 2006.
The paper's history is punctuated by notable lapses in editorial judgment. In 1926, it suffered a major scandal after prematurely announcing the wrong Nobel Prize winner. During the German occupation of Norway in World War II, the publication was forced under Nazi management, leading to the infamous 1945 publication of Knut Hamsun's obituary for Adolf Hitler. More recently, the paper has faced criticism for publishing disinformation regarding the death of Alexander Litvinenko in 2007, promoting conspiracy theories about Arne Treholt in 2011, and publishing a 2026 illustration of Narendra Modi that critics decried as racist and Orientalist.
Despite these controversies, Aftenposten remains a dominant force in Norwegian journalism. Owned by the public company Schibsted ASA, it maintains a robust international presence with correspondents in cities like Kyiv, Brussels, and Washington D.C. While its print circulation has faced the industry-wide pressures of the digital age, its online platform, Aftenposten.no, has seen significant growth, reaching 827,000 daily readers by 2015. Today, it continues to balance its traditional role as a national institution with the modern demands of accountability and editorial scrutiny.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Aftenposten
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