Introduction to 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, “to record the principal occurrences of the times” for the service of the public. 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”. In its tone and political neutrality, Walter reserved the right of the newspaper “to censure or applaud either [political party]” and to cover contending issues with respectful “fair argument”.

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

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 and The Sunday Times were first held under common ownership by Lord Thomson in 1966 as Times Newspapers Limited (TNL) and were bought by Rupert Murdoch in 1981. TNL, which is governed by a board of independent directors and a set of legal undertakings that protect the newspapers’ editorial independence, is now part of News UK.

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

 Both papers 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?

The titles are currently the biggest selling quality print newspapers in the UK and 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 and The Sunday Times take complaints about editorial content seriously. We are committed to abiding by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (“Ipso”) rules and regulations and the Editors’ Code of Practice that Ipso enforces.