The digitized collection of the Ptuj newspapers unveils life and events in Ptuj and the nearby region during the period from 1878 - the year of publishing of the first newspaper - until 2012.  Like in other Slovenian towns, German newspapers were the first to appear in the lower Styria. In February 1878, Jakob Schön printed the first issue of the Pettauer Wochenblatt (1878). The first newspaper in Ptuj was printed in the gothic script. It focused on local, social, cultural and economic events. It was published during eleven months - probably due to the modest and uninteresting content, and a small number of subscribers.

In 1889, printer Wilhelm Blanke senior published the first issue of the Pettauer Localanzeiger. Already the next year, it was renamed into Pettauer Zeitung (1889-1904) and it soon became one of the most read newspapers of the Lower Styria. At first, it was a non-political newspaper but in 1894, it became a political one - a journal of the Ptuj German population. It promoted German domination in the Austro-Hungarian monarchy and protection of German interests in the nationally mixed areas; it was against any attempt to exercise Slovenehood. In 1905, the Pettauer Anzeiger (1905-1913) a commercial journal replaced the Pettauer Zeitung.

The journal Štajerc (1900-1918), published by the political party Štajerc-Partei, appeared at the turn of the century. It promoted the ideas of the so-called štajercijanstvo, a political movement that sought to separate Styrians from other Slovenians. Josef Ornig, the Mayor of Ptuj was among the most fierce opponents of the Slovenian national movement. Members of the movement were against the use of the Slovenian language in offices and schools, and the Pan-Slavic and Yugoslav policy of the bourgeois parties.

Newspaper in the Slovenian language was supported by the German capital; it proclaimed itself a defender of people's rights, but under the veil of economic benefits, the newspaper tried to stimulate interest among Slovenian rural population for German culture and mentality.

Between the World Wars, two journals were published, both for a brief period: Ptujski list (1919-1922) and Narodna sloga (1932-1933). Ptujski list was a liberal, anti-clerical newspaper published by the Yugoslav Democratic Party in Styria. It opposed the socialist camp, warned of the dangers of Bolshevism and had a negative attitude towards the Ptuj pre-war Germans and their followers. During the King Aleksandar I Karadordevic's dictatorship, radical supporters of the Belgrade government published the Narodna sloga (1932-1933) newspaper. Its purpose was to 'strengthen the faith and love for our common mother of Yugoslavia'. It also extensively wrote about the severe economic crisis and unemployment. Due to constant problems with censorship, insufficient number of subscribers and irregular subscription payments, the newspaper ceased to be published after six months.

After the World War II, the newspaper Naše delo (1948-1950) of the District Committee of the Ptuj Liberation Front was published. Under the watchful eye of the Communist Party, the main mission of the articles was to inform, to properly politically guide and motivate the population during the post-war reconstruction of the country. After two years, the newspaper was renamed into Ptujski tednik (1951-1961).

The Agitation and Propaganda Commission strictly controlled the content of the newspaper until 1952. In 1961, Ptujski tednik was renamed to Tednik (1961-2003) as it covered a larger geographical area. At the start, the restrictions of the governing policy were still present, however, during the next years, the newspaper offered more independent, educational, informative and entertaining topics. It became popular among people in the area since it portrayed its readers, their friends and local places. 

In 2003 it was renamed to Štajerski tednik, after two years it was published twice a week. Due to its long tradition of rich and diverse information and entertaining content for all ages, it has become one of the most important Slovenian regional newspapers, and a necessary constant in East Styria.