Vatican City: Changes for the pope's daily newspaper L'Osservatore

Posted by Lauren Drablier on October 13, 2008 at 8:43 AM

The Vatican's L'Osservatore Romano, the 147-year old newspaper of record will now carry international news stories and more articles written by women according to the Wall Street Journal. The paper's publisher, Pope Benedict XVI is said to have requested the changes.

When the paper was founded in 1861, it was the "mouthpiece" for Vatican news and reported on the daily happenings of the pope.

The paper has long been a subject of criticism; in 1961 Cardinal Montini, who became Pope Paul VI wrote, "a serious newspaper, a grave newspaper, but who would ever read it on the tram or at the bar, who would ever strike up a discussion about it?"

The paper has seen a decline in readership and currently has a circulation of 15,000. The newspaper also fails to attract advertisers; in its most recent edition there was only one advertisement.

According to the papers editor-in-chief, Giovanni Maria Vian, design changes will be made as well. He plans to include more photos. Black-and-white photos of the pope's daily routines are no longer allowed on the front page. The paper has also cut back on free subscriptions and recently announced plans to include L'Osservatore as a Sunday insert in a northern Italian newspaper.

Sources: Wall Street Journal