introduction to the times

 1) What year was The Times founded and when did it start using the Times name?

The Times was founded in 1785 by the editor and publisher John Walter I.  It was called the Daily Universal Register for the first three years, until it rebranded as The Times in 1788 – the first newspaper in the world to use the Times name. 

2) What content did John Walter suggest the paper would offer in the first edition?

In his first edition, John Walter I explained that “like a well-covered table, it should contain something suited to every palate” including politics, foreign affairs, matters of trade, legal trials, advertisements and “amusements”.

3) What does the page say about the political views in The Times? 

 Walter stated he would not censure or applaud either political party and to cover contending issues with respectful “fair argument”. More than 200 years on, these founding principles hold true today. The Times has supported both New Labour and the Conservatives in recent times and supported Remain in the 2016 EU referendum.

4) Who owns The Times today and how is editorial integrity protected?

 The Times & The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, part of News UK & Ireland Ltd. The Times and The Sunday Times were first owned by Lord Thomson in 1966 as Times Newspapers Limited  and were bought by Rupert Murdoch in 1981. The Times and The Sunday Times take complaints about editorial content seriously.

5) What did The Times introduce in 2010 and why?

They introduced digital subscriptions in 2010 to help ensure a sustainable future for their journalism.

6) What was The Times named in 2018 by the Reuters Institute for Journalism at Oxford University

in 2018 The Times was named Britain’s most trusted national newspaper by the Reuters Institute for Journalism at Oxford University.

7) What does the section on Editorial Standards say about The Times and newspaper regulation?

The Times take complaints about editorial content seriously. We are committed to abiding by the Independent Press Standards Organisation rules and regulations and the Editors’ Code of Practice that Ipso enforces.

8) What does the section on Ownership say about The Times and who is the current editor? 

The Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, part of News UK & Ireland Ltd. Editor of The Times is John Witherow and the Deputy Editor of The Times is Tony Gallagher