A mainstay of Belgian commuters, appearing on bus and train services across the country, Belgian newspaper Metro will stop its print publication from Friday, publisher Rossel Group announced.
The publisher confirmed the impending termination of the print version of Metro. The final print edition is scheduled for this Friday 27 October, with digital updates on their website persisting until 15 January 2024.
Luc Rademakers, general editor of Metro, poses with the first edition of the daily newspaper in 2000. Credit: Belga / Geert Vanden Wijngaert
Debuting in 2000, Metro has been a reliable source of free news in both French and Dutch for Belgians, especially those travelling across the country. Its team of professional journalists have reported on the country's news for over two decades.
The decision to conclude Metro's operations was made in light of the newspaper's poor economic results following the Covid-19 pandemic.
"The various stages of lockdown and the shift to remote working throughout 2020 and 2021 have structurally affected Metro's economic model, which relies heavily on distribution through public transport networks, university campuses and corporate establishments," the Rossel Group elaborated in their statement.
A woman reads the first edition of the Metro daily newspaper at Kortrijk railway station on 3 October 2000.
Credit: Belga / Yves Boucau
Despite a strategic pivot to digital content earlier in 2023, Metro struggled to secure sufficient advertising interest.
"Despite the unwavering efforts of our teams, advertising revenue – the sole financial lifeline for Metro – has remained frustratingly inadequate to support our operations," the press release lamented. Similar free press publications in other markets have also struggled faced with changing consumer habits.
Credit: Belga / Jorge Dirkx
The closure of Metro will also impact Zita.be, a popular Flemish-language celebrity news platform. The Rossel Group expressed its gratitude to partners and advertisers, including SNCB, STIB, TEC, De Lijn and others, who were instrumental in Metro's journey.
The Rossel Group has said that it will attempt to avoid job losses by moving journalists to other publications owned by the brand.
