Nerikes Allehanda

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nerikes Allehanda
Nerikes Allehanda logo
Type Daily newspaper
Format Compact

Owner LT Liberala Tidningar AB
Publisher NA-koncernen
Editor-in-Chief Ulf Johansson
Staff Writers 196
Founded 1843
Political allegiance Independently liberal
Language Swedish
Headquarters Norra Strandgatan 5, Örebro
Circulation 67,600

Website: www.na.se

Nerikes Allehanda (shortened NA) is a Swedish daily regional newspaper. It is based in Örebro, Sweden, and distributed across Örebro County. It was founded in 1843 as a weekly paper and became a daily in 1894. As of 2007, the newspaper has a circulation of 67,600 copies, making it the tenth largest in Sweden. It is owned by the media group LT Liberala Tidningar AB and the stated position of the editorial is "independently liberal".

The name Nerikes Allehanda is roughly translated "All of Närke" (allehanda is an older Swedish word meaning "of all sorts/kinds", and Nerike is an older Swedish spelling of Närke).

[edit] History

The newspaper's current offices in Örebro.
The newspaper's current offices in Örebro.

Nerikes Allehanda was founed in 1843 by Otto-Joel Gumaelius and Svante Falk. Falk was the owner of the printing house and Gumaelius, a devoted liberal, became its first editor. The first edition was published on 4 March 1843 and consisted of four pages. The newspaper was only published one day per week in 120 copies.

Nerikes Allehanda was transferred into a corporation (Swedish: aktiebolag) in 1888. In 1894, the newspaper started to get published six days per week. It still consisted of four pages but now had a circulation of about 6,000 copies.

In 1933, the lawyer Claes Ljung bought a majority of the newspaper's shares.

In 1944, Nerikes Allehanda merged with Nerikes Tidning and became the largest newspaper in the county with a circulation of about 31,000 copies.

In 1951 it was started to get distributed as a morning paper (earlier it had been an evening paper).

In 1957, Nerikes Allehanda bought the newspaper Motala Tidning and in 1964 the newspaper Nora Tidning was bought as well.

In 1975, the newspaper was sold from the Ljung family to the newly formed limited partnership corporation Liberala Tidningar.

In 1993, the radio station Radio Rix, which is now owned to 90 % by Nerikes Allehanda, was started.

In 1995, the newspaper was published on the web for the first time.

In 2001, the newspaper was started to get distributed seven days per week.

In 2005, the format was changed from the classic broadsheet to tabloid/compact.

[edit] Mohammed drawings controversy

On August 19, 2007, the newspaper printed a drawing by Swedish artist Lars Vilks depicting the Prophet Mohammed as a roundabout dog. According to editor-in-chief Ulf Johansson, the publishing of the image was done by the newspaper in order to protest the refusal of several Swedish art galleries to show a series of Mohammed paintings by Vilks. [1]

In the ensuing days, demonstrations by Muslims and their supporters, and counter-demonstrations by youths claiming to be demonstrating in favor of freedom of the press occurred in Örebro. "They say they are offended and I regret that, because our purpose was not to offend anyone," Johansson told The Associated Press. "But they are asking for an apology and a promise that I never again publish a similar image ... and that I cannot do."

Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt expressed support for freedom of the press, as well as for religious tolerance. [2]

[edit] External links