The Mafra Group, publisher of Lidové noviny (LN), will cease the printed edition of the Czech Republic’s oldest daily newspaper at the end of August. However, the online version, often referred to as “lidovky,” will continue.
Mafra cites advances in technology and increasing costs for paper and distribution as reasons for the shift. The goal is to preserve the Lidové noviny brand in a modern format. The publishing house is currently in discussions with affected employees about their futures. Approximately 40 jobs will be lost due to the discontinuation of the print edition, according to the news outlet e15.
The Czech Publishers’ Association (Česká unie vydavatelů) reported that Lidové noviny had an average readership of 123,000 per issue in May of this year, making it the fifth most-read national daily in the Czech Republic. This is a decline from 155,000 a year ago and 209,000 five years prior, reflecting a broader trend affecting print newspapers.
Founded on December 16, 1893, in Brno, Lidové noviny boasts a rich history. It flourished during the First Czechoslovak Republic with contributions from prominent Czech writers such as Karel Čapek, Josef Čapek, and Eduard Bass, who later became the editor-in-chief. The newspaper also played a significant role during the Velvet Revolution in 1989, symbolizing the fight for freedom.
Lidové noviny was established by Adolf Stránský, a lawyer and journalist who later became the first Minister of Trade in the independent Czechoslovak Republic. The paper expanded to Prague in 1920 and other Czech cities subsequently. In 1924, Ferdinand Peroutka assumed the role of editor-in-chief, a position he held even after World War II when the paper was published as Svobodné noviny for three years. In 1952, the communist regime ceased the publication of Lidové noviny.
The end of the print edition signifies a significant shift in the Czech media landscape, but the Lidové noviny brand will persist online, continuing in a digital format.
