Verdens Gang
Verdens Gang ("The course of the world"), generally known under the abbreviation VG, is a Norwegian tabloid newspaper. In 2016, circulation numbers stood at 93,883, declining from a peak circulation of 390,510 in 2002. Nevertheless, VG is the most-read online newspaper in Norway, with about 2 million daily readers.[1]
Type
1945
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Verdens Gang AS is a private company wholly owned by the public company Schibsted ASA.[2]
History and profile[edit]
VG was established by members of the Norwegian resistance movement shortly after the country was liberated from German occupation in 1945.[3] The first issue of the paper was published on 23 June 1945.[4] Christian A. R. Christensen was the first editor-in-chief of VG from its start in 1945 to 1967, when he died.[5]
VG is based in Oslo.[6] The paper is published in tabloid format.[7] The owner is the media conglomerate Schibsted,[5] which also owns Norway's largest newspaper, Aftenposten,[8] as well as newspapers in Sweden, Estonia, and shares in some of Norway's larger regional newspapers. Schibsted took over the paper following the death of Christensen in 1967.[5] Just before the change in ownership VG was mostly sold in the Oslo area and had a circulation of 34,000 copies.[9]
The editor-in-chief is Gard Steiro.[10] VG is not affiliated with any political party.
For many years, VG was the largest newspaper in Norway by circulation, which reached a peak of 390,000 in 2002. As its readers moved from traditional newspapers to internet newspapers, the circulation has collapsed to 94,000 in 2016. VG is now the second - largest print newspaper in Norway. It was overtaken by Aftenposten in 2010. The online newspaper vg.no is, however, by far the most visited in Norway, with 2 million daily readers.[11]
VG Nett[edit]
VG Nett is VG's news site online. It was started in 1995.[12] VG Nett made a net operating profit of 40 percent in 2006, making it an unusually successful online media operation.[13] According to figures from TNG Gallup, it had approximately 2 million daily readers in 2016.[14]
VG's web pages also include a discussion forum, VG Debatt.[15]
