BERLIN: One of the world鈥檚 oldest newspapers, the Vienna-based Wiener Zeitung, ended its daily print run Friday after more than three centuries.
First published under the name Wiennerisches Diarium, the paper set out to provide a sober account of the news 鈥渨ithout any oratory or poetic gloss鈥� when it was launched on Aug. 8, 1703.
鈥�320 years, 12 presidents, 10 emperors, 2 republics, 1 newspaper,鈥� the print edition鈥檚 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 Austria鈥檚 most famous exports: actor-turned-politician Arnold Schwarzenegger. It lamented that, unlike Schwarzenegger鈥檚 famous 鈥淭erminator鈥� character, the newspaper won鈥檛 be able to make the phrase 鈥淚鈥檒l be back鈥� its motto for the future.