History
The Times was started by John Walter in 1785, as The Daily Universal Register, changing its title on January 1, 1788, to The Times. John Walter was also the first editor of the paper. He resigned in 1803 handing ownership and editorship to the second John Walter. The first John Walter had already spent sixteen months in Newgate prison for certain libels printed in The Times, but his pioneering efforts to obtain European news, especially from France, helped build the paper reputation among policy makers and financiers.
The Times used contributions from significant figures in the fields of politics, science, literature, and the arts to build its reputation. For much of its early life the profits of The Times were very large and the competition minimal, and so it could pay far better than its rivals for information or writers.
In 1809 John Stoddart was appointed general editor, replaced in 1817, with Thomas Barnes. Under Barnes and his successor in 1841, John Thaddeus Delane, the influence of The Times rose to great heights, especially in politics and amongst the City. Peter Fraser and Edward Sterling were two noted hacks and gained for The Times the pompous nickname 'The Thunderer' (from "We thundered out the other day an article on social and political reform").
It was the first newspaper to send special correspondents abroad, and it was the first to send correspondents after particular conflicts. W. H. Russell, its correspondent with the army in the Crimean War was immensely influential with his dispatches back to England.
In other events of the 19th Century The Times opposed the repeal of the Corn Laws, until the level of the demonstrations convinced it otherwise. During the American Civil War, The Times represented the view of the wealthy classes, favouring the secessionists, but it was not a supporter of slavery. Its support of individual politicians was very much internally driven and it did not pander to public opinion.
John Walter the third had succeeded his father in 1847. Though the Walters were becoming more conservative, the paper continued more or less independent. From the 1850s however The Times was beginning to suffer from the rise in competition from the penny press - notably The Daily Telegraph and the Morning Post.
In 1922 John Astor, son of Viscount William Waldorf Astor, bought the London Times from the Northcliffe family estate. In 1966, members of the Astor family sold the paper to Canadian publishing magnate, Roy Thomson.
In November 2003 News Corp. began producing the newspaper in both broadsheet and tabloid sizes.
Editors
External link
Source | Copyright
Related categories
