The Times
A British daily national newspaper based in London and one of the United Kingdom’s long-established newspapers of record.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
The Times is a British daily national newspaper headquartered in London. It was established by John Walter on 1 January 1785 as The Daily Universal Register and adopted the title The Times on 1 January 1788, after 940 issues. The paper grew from a technologically ambitious printing venture into a highly influential national publication, with a reputation for political reporting, foreign correspondence, commentary, letters, culture and coverage of public affairs. Its early development was closely connected with advances in printing and distribution. Walter acquired an interest in John Walter’s printing business and promoted the use of logography, an experimental typesetting system intended to increase speed and accuracy. Although the system did not fulfil its promise, The Times later benefited substantially from steam-powered cylinder presses, rotary printing and railway distribution. These innovations allowed it to increase circulation and reach growing urban audiences. Its willingness to pay for information and attract prominent contributors helped establish an influential editorial voice among politicians, business leaders and cultural institutions. The newspaper became particularly prominent during the nineteenth century. Thomas Barnes, appointed editor in 1817, and his successor John Thadeus Delane helped build its political influence. The Times was an early adopter of dedicated war correspondence; William Howard Russell’s dispatches from the Crimean War became an important example of the role of frontline journalism in shaping public understanding. During this period its circulation increased markedly, reaching tens of thousands by the middle of the century. The paper encountered financial difficulty in 1890 but was stabilized under Charles Frederic Moberly Bell. It was later acquired by Alfred Harmsworth, subsequently Lord Northcliffe, and in 1922 by John Jacob Astor. Its twentieth-century editorial history included periods of strong political alignment. In the 1930s, under editor Geoffrey Dawson, the newspaper was associated with support for appeasement toward Nazi Germany. In 1920 it also published an editorial treating the forged antisemitic Protocols of the Elders of Zion as potentially authentic; the paper later retracted that position after its correspondent Philip Graves exposed the document as a forgery. The Astor family sold The Times in 1966 to Roy Thomson’s Thomson Corporation. The transaction brought it under common ownership with The Sunday Times, which had been founded independently in 1821. A major industrial dispute then caused The Times to suspend publication from December 1978 until November 1979. In 1981 both titles were acquired by Rupert Murdoch’s News International, now part of News UK and ultimately wholly owned by News Corp. The acquisition was accompanied by undertakings intended to preserve separate journalistic resources for The Times and The Sunday Times. The 1980s brought major technological and organizational change. Hot-metal typesetting was replaced by computer input and photocomposition, and in 1986 the newspaper moved from its traditional Fleet Street-area production base to Wapping after a prolonged dispute with print unions. The paper later changed from broadsheet to tabloid production: from 2003 it was printed in both formats, while from November 2004 it used the tabloid format exclusively. Printing subsequently moved from Wapping to plants in Hertfordshire, Merseyside and Glasgow, enabling full-colour production on every page. The Times has continued to develop as a multi-platform news brand. It launched an American edition in 2006, primarily serving the New York and Washington, D.C. metropolitan areas. In 2010 The Times and The Sunday Times launched Times Radio, a station covering national and international news and politics. In 2016 the newspaper reorganized its digital publishing rhythm around scheduled editions and redesigned its mobile applications. Its subscription strat…
History
The Times began publication in London on 1 January 1785 as The Daily Universal Register under John Walter. The title changed to The Times on 1 January 1788. Walter’s original enterprise was linked to experiments in printing technology, but the newspaper’s long-term success came from combining improved presses, paid reporting and expanding transport networks. Steam-powered printing and railway distribution enabled rapid growth in circulation during the nineteenth century. Thomas Barnes became editor in 1817 and helped establish a forceful editorial identity. John Thadeus Delane, who succeeded him in 1841, further increased the paper’s influence. The Times developed a reputation for political and public-affairs reporting and was among the early newspapers to send dedicated correspondents to wars. William Howard Russell’s Crimean War dispatches were especially important in demonstrating the power of eyewitness journalism. Financial problems emerged in 1890, but Charles Frederic Moberly Bell helped stabilize the business. The paper was later acquired by Alfred Harmsworth, Lord Northcliffe, and then by John Jacob Astor in 1922. Its history in the first half of the twentieth century included serious editorial controversies. Under Geoffrey Dawson, it was associated with support for appeasement in the 1930s. In 1920 it published an editorial that treated the antisemitic Protocols of the Elders of Zion as possibly genuine. Correspondent Philip Graves subsequently demonstrated that the text was a forgery, and the newspaper withdrew the earlier position. The paper also employed figures whose later careers became historically controversial. Kim Philby worked as a correspondent during the Spanish Civil War before becoming a senior British intelligence officer and defecting to the Soviet Union in 1963. E. H. Carr served as assistant editor during the Second World War and became associated with pro-Soviet editorial positions. In 1966 the Astor family sold The Times to Roy Thomson. The transaction placed it under common ownership with The Sunday Times, although the two newspapers had separate origins. A labor dispute forced a near-year-long suspension from 1 December 1978 to 12 November 1979. The Thomson Corporation subsequently sought a buyer able to fund modernization and preserve both titles. Rupert Murdoch’s News International acquired The Times and The Sunday Times in 1981. The change of ownership brought undertakings concerning separate journalistic resources. Harold Evans became editor after William Rees-Mogg, and new production technology was introduced. Between 1981 and 1982 the newspaper moved away from hot-metal Linotype production toward computer input and photocomposition. The Wapping dispute of the mid-1980s marked another major transformation. Production moved from the traditional New Printing House Square site near Fleet Street to Wapping in 1986, with substantial changes to print staffing and working practices. The Times later adopted tabloid production, first alongside broadsheet printing and then exclusively from 2004. In 2008 printing moved from Wapping to facilities in Waltham Cross, Merseyside and Glasgow, allowing full-colour production throughout the paper. Editorial and digital practices continued to change in the twenty-first century. The Times launched an American edition in 2006, redesigned its digital products in 2016 and developed a paid subscription model. Together with The Sunday Times, it launched Times Radio in 2020. The broader Times Media business has increasingly combined print subscriptions, digital-only subscriptions, advertising, radio and archive access. The newspaper remains active as a national British title with international digital reach.
- 2016
Digital editions are reorganized
[1]The newspaper moves from rolling digital publication toward scheduled weekday editions and redesigns its mobile applications.
- 2010
Times Radio is launched
[1]The Times and The Sunday Times introduce a radio service covering news and politics.
- 2008
Printing moves to regional plants
[1]Production shifts to facilities in Hertfordshire, Merseyside and Glasgow, enabling full-colour pages.
- 2006
American edition launches
[1]The newspaper begins publishing an edition aimed primarily at readers in major northeastern U.S. metropolitan areas.
- 2004
Tabloid format becomes exclusive
[1]The Times ends its broadsheet edition and continues solely in tabloid form.
- 1986
Production moves to Wapping
[1]The newspaper leaves its traditional Fleet Street-area production base amid major labor and technology changes.
- 1981
Acquired by News International
[1]Rupert Murdoch’s News International purchases The Times and The Sunday Times from Thomson.
- 1978
Publication suspended during industrial dispute
[1]The newspaper stops publishing from December 1978 until November 1979.
- 1966
Acquired by Roy Thomson
[1]The Times comes under Thomson ownership and is placed under common ownership with The Sunday Times.
- 1922
Acquisition by John Jacob Astor
[1]Astor acquires the newspaper from the Northcliffe estate.
Products and positioning
A long-established British national newspaper of record, positioned around authoritative news reporting, political analysis, international coverage, opinion, culture and premium paid journalism.
National newspaper · 1785
The Times daily newspaper
The core print product is a paid British national daily newspaper covering domestic and international news, politics, business, sport, culture, opinion and public affairs. It is recognized for its long institutional history and national distribution. The paper shifted from broadsheet production to tabloid-only production in 2004 and later adopted full-colour printing across its pages.
Digital news subscription
The Times digital edition
The digital service provides subscriber access to Times journalism through the newspaper’s website and mobile applications. Its publishing model includes scheduled digital editions as well as online articles and multimedia content. Digital subscriptions have become a major part of the Times Media business alongside paid print circulation.
Radio news · 2020
Times Radio
Times Radio is a spoken-word radio service launched by The Times and The Sunday Times. Its programming focuses on news, politics and current affairs in the United Kingdom and internationally, extending the newspaper brand into live audio and discussion.
Archive
The Times historical archive
A digitized historical file provides access to past issues of The Times, with coverage extending through 2019 in the archive referenced by the newspaper’s encyclopedia record. The archive supports research into British political, social and cultural history.
Controversies
2019
Multiple IPSO findings against Times articles
IPSO upheld complaints involving reports on GPS data and alleged trafficking links, pollution in British waterways, research funding related to a hunting trophy ban, and competition from overseas medical students.
2019
Incorrect reporting concerning Imam Abdullah Patel
The newspaper published claims about Imam Abdullah Patel’s comments regarding a terrorism-related murder and about alleged school segregation that were reported as incorrect in the referenced account.
2018
IPSO complaint concerning Tower Hamlets fostering coverage
The Independent Press Standards Organisation upheld a complaint about the newspaper’s report of a court hearing involving a Tower Hamlets fostering case.
1920
Publication of a misleading editorial about the Protocols of the Elders of Zion
The Times published an editorial that treated the antisemitic Protocols of the Elders of Zion as potentially authentic. Its correspondent Philip Graves later exposed the document as a forgery, after which the newspaper retracted the earlier position.
Brand decisions
2016
Reorganize digital publishing around editionsStrategyBackground
The newspaper was reassessing how readers consumed news through mobile devices and subscription products.
Action taken
Rolling digital coverage was replaced by scheduled weekday editions at set times, accompanied by a redesigned mobile application.
Aftermath
The change emphasized a curated newspaper-like digital experience rather than continuous online updates.
2004
Move to tabloid-only formatGeneration changeBackground
The Times had produced both broadsheet and tabloid editions since 2003.
Action taken
The broadsheet edition was withdrawn, leaving the tabloid as the sole print format.
Aftermath
The change simplified production and established the newspaper’s modern physical format.
1981
Sale to News InternationalM&ABackground
Thomson sought a buyer able to support both The Times and The Sunday Times and finance modernization after industrial and economic difficulties.
Action taken
News International, controlled by Rupert Murdoch, acquired the two newspapers and accepted undertakings concerning separate journalistic resources.
Aftermath
The acquisition initiated major changes in technology, production, ownership and editorial management.
1981
Replace hot-metal productionStrategyBackground
The newspaper needed more efficient production methods and an infrastructure suited to modern publishing.
Action taken
Computer input and photocomposition were introduced, gradually replacing Linotype hot-metal printing.
Aftermath
Print-room staffing was substantially reduced and the newspaper moved toward digitally assisted production.
1788
Adopt the The Times titleStrategyBackground
The original title, The Daily Universal Register, was considered unsuitable for the newspaper’s developing identity.
Action taken
John Walter changed the title to The Times after 940 issues.
Aftermath
The new name became the foundation of a globally influential newspaper brand and inspired many similarly named publications.
Recent events
- 2020
The Times and The Sunday Times launch Times Radio[1]
Product launch
The two newspapers introduced a radio service focused on national and international news and politics.
- 2006
The Times launches an American edition[1]
Product launch
An American edition began publication, with its principal circulation concentrated in the New York City and Washington, D.C. metropolitan areas.
- 2004
The Times moves to tabloid-only production[1]
Product generation
After a period in which broadsheet and tabloid versions were both produced, the newspaper adopted the tabloid format exclusively.
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