Ajaleht Eesti Postimees ja ajakiri Eesti Põllumees aastatel 1870–1880. Trükiarvud ja kirjastamine
The Newspaper Eesti Postimees and the Journal Eesti Põllumees in 1870–1880: Circulation and Publication

Summary/Abstract: The article discusses the circulation numbers and some economic aspects of the Eesti Postimees, which was the most authoritative newspaper in Estonia during the National Awakening, and the journal Eesti Põllumees (Estonian Farmer, then called Supplement), both edited by J. V. Jannsen. The material analyzed comes from the ledgers of publisher and printer H. Laakmann. In 1870 the circulation of the first issues of the Eesti Postimees was 1525, reaching 3500 by the first half of the next year. From 1872–1875 the circulation balanced between 2200–2500. In 1876 the number increased to 2900, while the next year 8–10 issues were published 4100 copies each. Here the ledger entries are discontinued. Several researchers have assumed that the Russian-Turkish war (1877– 1878) may have helped to raise the circulation up to 4600–5200. In 1879 the Eesti Postimees appeared twice a week: the main paper on Wednesdays (2500–3000 copies) and the Supplement on Saturdays (1100–1500 copies). In 1880 the circulation was 2000. As for the journal Eesti Põllumees 1000 copies were printed at the end of 1869. Reader interest being low the circulation dropped to 250 by 1878, which caused a temporary stop in publication, but in 1880 the journal was resumed. The ledger also reveals the publishing costs. Considering the subvention received from the knighthoods, the newspaper must have been quite profitable for J. V. Jannsen, whereas the journal's yield was very small, if not negative. The greatest merit of the newspaper Eesti Postimees was the moulding of the nascent Estonian nationalism and public opinion.

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