Newspaper: The Times - Introduction

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

The Times was founded in 1785 under the name 'The Daily Universal Register,' changing its name to The Times on the 1st of January 1788.

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

John Walter suggested the paper would offer "something suited to every palate," including hard news often covered by most broadsheets, such as politics, foreign affairs, trade, legal trials, advertisements, alongside more light-hearted "amusements."

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

The page says that political views in The Times are covered with respectful "fair argument," as the newspaper reserves the right to "censure or applaud either [political party]". It also discusses the integrity and honesty behind their political views, namely through how they supported both New Labour and the Conservatives in recent times. They are self-labelled as being "without bias," providing unique insight into politics.

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

Today, The Times is owned by News UK under Rupert Murdoch, who bought the newspaper in 1981. They protect editorial integrity by featuring columnists from all areas of the political spectrum, ensuring that no political ideology is favoured over another.

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

In 2010, The Times introduced multiple new announcements. For example, they launched the iPad edition in late May, allowing them to target a broader audience. Furthermore, they introduced a paywall on both The Times and The Sunday Times websites, announcing charges for paid-only content in order to increase profit. This is perhaps related to the general decrease in popularity of print across the world, meaning that newspaper companies potentially needed to find more ways to increase the money they gained as physical copies were being bought much less.

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, paralleling the general public's belief that The Times is overall an unbiased newspaper that presents political news in a fair light.

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

In the section on Editorial Standards, it states that the company takes complaints about editorial content seriously, and that they are committed to abiding by the regulations held by the Independent Press Standards Organisations (Ipso) and the Editors' Code of Practice that they enforce, including clauses on accuracy, privacy, harassment, etc.

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

The section on Ownership states that the Times is currently published by Times Media Limited, a subsidiary under News UK & Ireland Ltd., which itself s owned by News Corp, a "global diversified media business," who perhaps aid in the editing process.