Dagsavisen was established by Christian Holtermann Knudsen in 1884[5] under the name Vort Arbeide ('Our Work' in archaic Riksmål), and was affiliated with the trade union center Fagforeningernes Centralkomité.

The fledgling project was marred by economic problems, and the burden of writing, editing, and printing lay chiefly on Knudsen.

The radical wing spearheaded by Martin Tranmæl and Kyrre Grepp had assumed control over the party at the 1918 national convention.

In 1923, the same year as the Labour Party renounced the Comintern and the communist wing broke away, Social-Demokraten changed its name to Arbeiderbladet (lit.

The factionalism was contrary to the goal of Christian Holtermann Knudsen, who wanted to unite the fledgling labour movement.

[8] Olav Larssen, imprisoned during the occupation,[10] was promoted from news editor as he succeeded Martin Tranmæl as editor-in-chief in 1949.

[11] Arbeiderbladet was formally owned by the Labour Party[12] until 1991, when a separate, but affiliated, entity Norsk Arbeiderpresse took over.

It is widely accepted that Dagsavisen would face drastic problems if the distinctively Norwegian press support were to cease.

Dagsavisen had a circulation of 28,337 in 2009, making it the fifth largest Oslo-based newspaper, after Verdens Gang, Aftenposten, Aften, Dagbladet and Dagens Næringsliv.