Rakkestad Bygdeblad was a Norwegian newspaper, published in Rakkestad in Østfold county.
Rakkestad Bygdeblad was started on 4 September 2002 as a competitor to Rakkestad Avis, which until then had a monopoly as a local newspaper. Journalist Carsten Lier was hired as editor, and two years after launch the newspaper had a circulation of 1,441 copies.[1] It was originally published on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, the same as Rakkestad Avis, but soon changed to Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.[2] In 2004 the newspaper won the Local Newspaper of the Year award from the National Association of Local Newspapers.[1]
In late 2004 the newspaper launched the free magazine Østfoldmagasinet, which had a circulation of 98,000 copies.[3] From 2006 Rakkestad Bygdeblad was distributed on a fourth day in the week, freely, to counter economic problems.[4] Nonetheless, it went defunct in 2008.[5]