Paid news in Norway is becoming more common, with seven in ten residents now having access to at least one news subscription, according to a new report from the Norwegian Media Businesses’ Association (Mediebedriftenes Landsforening, MBL). The strongest growth is among 18–29-year-olds, but the report also warns that rising prices risk pushing more people outside the paywall.
Young adults drive the growth in paid news access
The MBL report Betaling for nyheter 2025 shows that just over 70 percent of Norwegians now have access to at least one newspaper subscription, an increase of ten percentage points since 2018. Among young adults aged 18–29, 63 percent say they have access to a news subscription – a 55 percent increase over the same period.
Access to digital news sites has expanded in parallel. One in five respondents now has a so-called bundling subscription, combining several media products such as online newspapers, TV or film streaming services in a single package. Norwegian streaming services for TV and film record the strongest subscription growth, and six in ten households have access to at least one such service.
According to MBL’s chief executive Randi S. Øgrey, the figures confirm that young adults actively choose editorially controlled news rather than relying solely on informal sources:
“Young people prioritise editor-driven news and say they experience journalism as relevant and valuable. At the same time, we see a risk that more can fall outside because they have less money. Journalism must be available to everyone, not just those with strong finances,” Øgrey says in the MBL summary of the report.
Direct relationship with news brands – social media is secondary
The survey points to a strong and growing direct relationship between readers and newsrooms. Around 70 percent of respondents prefer to get news directly from news sites’ own websites and apps rather than via intermediaries. Four in ten young adults also want newsrooms’ content to be shared on social media, but mainly as a supplement.
Most of the news that circulates on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok still comes from editorially controlled media. Only a small minority of respondents say they mainly consume news from influencers or unedited profiles.
When asked about their single most important news source, Norwegians still point first to national newspapers and news sites, followed by NRK.no, television and local newspapers. Only about 6 percent name social media as their main news source. Even among the youngest respondents, newspapers and digital news sites remain more important than social platforms when they are asked to choose just one primary source.
Price and inequality are becoming central concerns
The same survey also highlights a growing price barrier. The share of non-subscribers who say they cannot afford a news subscription has tripled in the past year, according to MBL. People who report a tighter household budget are less likely to have access to paid news, and rely instead on free news sources.
For Norwegians without a subscription, national news sites and the public broadcaster NRK are the most important free sources of information. Younger users are particularly likely to combine free national news sites, NRK’s digital services and social media, and they are also more open to ad-funded content in exchange for access.
This raises concerns about a possible information divide between households that can afford several subscriptions and those that cannot. Media organisations and policymakers in Norway have repeatedly stressed that equal access to quality journalism is a democratic prerequisite, especially in a context where disinformation, conspiracy theories and polarised debate thrive on unregulated platforms.
Video news and podcasts reshape how young people follow current affairs
Another clear trend in the MBL report is the rapid growth of video news and podcasts, particularly among young adults. Half of respondents aged 18–29 now say they prefer news in video format, while 17 percent say they prefer podcasts.
Video is growing as a news channel in all age groups, but the shift is strongest among younger users who are used to short, mobile-friendly formats. For newsrooms, this means investing in video production, explainers and live broadcasts that can reach younger audiences on their own terms, without relying solely on linear television.
Podcasts are also becoming an important way to deepen coverage of politics, culture and everyday life, and many Norwegian media houses now treat audio as a core part of their digital subscription offer. For young adults, this combination of on-demand video, audio and text seems to define what a modern news subscription should include.
What the rise of paid news means for Nordic and European media
The Norwegian findings fit into a broader Nordic and European debate on how to finance independent journalism in a fragmented digital market. Norway already has a zero VAT rate on editor-controlled news services, a measure that media organisations see as essential for keeping subscription prices lower and ensuring that quality journalism is not treated like ordinary entertainment products.
At the same time, the rapid growth in paid news in Norway and the parallel rise in price-related exclusion highlight a core dilemma for newsrooms across the Nordic countries: they must secure sustainable revenue through subscriptions while avoiding a situation in which only affluent households can access full coverage.
The MBL report suggests that flexible pricing models, bundled offers and more ad-funded or freemium solutions could help maintain broad access. In a European context, the Norwegian data will likely feed into ongoing discussions about media support schemes, VAT rules and platform regulation, as governments and EU institutions look for ways to support trusted news without undermining editorial independence.
For now, the 2025 numbers indicate that young adults in Norway are willing to pay for news – especially when it is digital, visual and available across formats – but they also show how quickly economic pressure can turn access to journalism into a question of affordability rather than interest.
