Libertatea

The paper was started in 1989.[1] The first edition was published at midday on 22 December 1989, being the first newspaper to announce that the communist ruler, President Nicolae Ceaușescu, had fled the capital in a helicopter. The former newspaper was named Informația Bucureștiului. Sorin Rosca Stanescu was a journalist at the former newspaper and worked with Octavian Andronic, the founder of the new newspaper Libertatea.

Nowadays, the first edition of Libertatea can be seen in museums, like Muzeul Presei Sever Bocu’, from Jimbolia, Timiș.

In 1994, it was bought by Ringier and it goes through a lot of changes, which make Libertatea the newspaper with the most printed and sold copies in the country, turning from Bucharest only, to a national printed publication. It also becomes the first Romanian newspaper printed in color.

In 1999, most part of the newsroom leaves and starts another newspaper, Averea, Libertatea becomes a tabloid, following as a model the Swiss Ringier tabloid, Blick. The number of sold copies goes from some tens of thousands a day, to more than 250.000.

In 2002, Libertatea was the most distributed newspaper in Romania, with a monthly average of 151.409 sold copies, per edition. It competitors were Adevărul, with 129.389 sold copies, and Evenimentul Zilei, with 106.297. [1]

The same year, Libertatea launches the Sunday edition.[2]

A SNA study shows from July 2008 - July 2009, shows that Libertatea is still the number one newspaper in the country, with 1.425.000 readers. Its tabloid competitor, Cancan, is second, with 981.000 readers and the third is also a tabloid, „Click”, with 938.000 readers .[3]

[1] https://www.libertatea.ro/ultima-ora/libertatea-ziarul-cel-mai-citit-din-romania-52470

[2] http://www.romania-actualitati.ro/ringier_publisher_de_succes_pe_piata_romaneasca-9857

[3] https://www.capital.ro/libertatea-cel-mai-citit-ziar-din-romania-127185.html

"Page 5 girl" (Fata de la Pagina 5) appeared when Libertatea relaunched as a tabloid and it soon became a brand on its own. Some national celebrities became famous due to being "Page 5" girls. Among them, the most known are Laura Cosoi, Andreea Mantea, Nicoleta Luciu or Roxana Ionescu.

In 2001, a night club, Pub 21, launched a cocktail with the name of "Fata de la Pagina 5".[1]

După almost 20 years, in 2017, with a shift in editorial strategy, while rebranding as a popular newspaper, Libertatea cancels "Page 5 girl" section from its printed and online editions. [2]

[1] https://www.libertatea.ro/ultima-ora/fata-de-la-pagina-5-e-model-pentru-artisti-198458

[2] https://www.paginademedia.ro/2018/07/video-finalul-unei-epoci-de-ce-a-fost-scoasa-la-pensie-fata-de-la-pagina-5-din-libertatea

In 2014, Libertatea starts a rebranding process, by repositioning from tabloid ot general news. The mix of content changes as well, shifting its accent from celebrities and content meant to shock and amaze, to general news, politics, features.[1]

In 2016, BRAT (Biroul Român de Audit Transmedia), voted to move Libertatea from its "tabloid" category, to "General news", so the change became official. [2]

Video also becomes an important part of the newsroom with a dedicated department.

[1] https://www.iqads.ro/articol/34636/libertatea-apartine-oficial-categoriei-stiri-generale-conform-clasificarii-brat

[2] https://www.paginademedia.ro/2016/04/libertatea-nu-mai-este-tabloid-se-declara-ziar-de-stiri-generale

In 2018, after Ringier Romania took over Gazeta Sporturilor in a joint venture with Sportal [1], Cătălin Tolontan became the editorial director of Libertatea. [2] The newsroom goes through changes, new journalists become part of the team in a process that took place over two years.

Libertatea becomes well known for the investigative pieces, features and human stories published both in print and in the online edition.

[1] https://www.paginademedia.ro/2018/07/ringier-a-cumparat-gazeta-sporturilor-tranzactia-anuntata-oficial

[2] https://www.paginademedia.ro/2018/07/tolontan-renunta-la-conducerea-editoriala-a-gazetei-pentru-o-alta-functie-in-ringier-un-alt-catalin-ii-ia-locul-tepelin

• Official website (in Romanian)