Editing The Times (section)

==History==
===1785 to 1890=== <!-- [[Logography (printing)]] redirects here. If you rename the section, please also update the redirect. -->
[[File:Times 1788.12.04.jpg|thumb|Front page of ''The Times'' from 4 December 1788]]
''The Times'' was founded by publisher [[John Walter (publisher)|John Walter]] (1738–1812) on 1 January 1785 as ''The Daily Universal Register,''<ref name=":0" /> with Walter in the role of editor.<ref name=":2">{{cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/tools_and_services/services/press_office/article2085354.ece|title=The Times Editors|last=Lewis|first=Leo|date=16 July 2011|work=The Times|access-date=2 September 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716130656/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/tools_and_services/services/press_office/article2085354.ece|archive-date=16 July 2011|location=London}}</ref> Walter had lost his job by the end of 1784 after the insurance company for which he worked went bankrupt due to losses from a Jamaican hurricane. Unemployed, Walter began a new business venture.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://spartacus-educational.com/Jwalter1.htm|title=John Walter|last=Simkin|first=John|date=September 1997|website=Spartacus Educational|access-date=28 December 2019|archive-date=26 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210626115959/https://spartacus-educational.com/Jwalter1.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Walter, John}}</ref> At that time, Henry Johnson invented the logography, a new typography that was reputedly faster and more precise (although three years later, it was proved less efficient than advertised). Walter bought the logography's patent and, with it, opened a printing house to produce books.<ref name=":1" /> The first publication of ''The Daily Universal Register'' was on 1 January 1785. Walter changed the title after 940 editions on 1 January 1788 to ''The Times''.<ref name=":0">{{cite encyclopedia |title=The Times |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Times |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica Online |access-date=11 September 2016 |archive-date=10 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161010221301/https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Times |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":1" /> In 1803, Walter handed ownership and editorship to [[John Walter (second)|his son]] of the same name.<ref name=":1" />  Walter Sr's pioneering efforts to obtain Continental news, especially from France, helped build the paper's reputation among policy makers and financiers,<ref>{{cite web |title=Times, The – Extracts from – Epsom & Ewell History Explorer |url=https://eehe.org.uk/?p=62078 |website=eehe.org.uk |access-date=11 October 2021 |archive-date=4 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220704001708/https://eehe.org.uk/?p=62078 |url-status=live }}</ref> in spite of a sixteen-month incarceration in [[Newgate Prison]] for [[defamation|libel]]s printed in ''The Times''.<ref name=":1" />

''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, so it could pay far better than its rivals for information or writers. Beginning in 1814, the paper was printed on the new steam-driven cylinder press developed by [[Friedrich Koenig]] (1774–1833).<ref>{{cite book|title=American Journalism: History, Principles, Practices: An Historical Reader for Students and Professionals|first1 = W. David |last1 = Sloan |first2 = Lisa Mullikin |last2 = Parcell |isbn=0-7864-1371-9|year=2002|publisher=McFarland & Co. |quote=Koenig had plans to develop a double-feeding printing machine that would increase production, and the publisher of The Times in London ordered two of the double- feeder machines to be built.|url-access=registration |url = https://archive.org/details/americanjournali0000unse_r6h5 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ouBxwQElvVQC&pg=PA106|title=A Social History of the Media: From Gutenberg to the Internet|last1=Briggs|first1=Asa|last2=Burke|first2=Peter|date=2009|publisher=Polity|isbn=978-0-7456-4495-0|pages=106|language=en}}</ref> In 1815, ''The Times'' had a circulation of 5,000.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/11/20/business/earlier-media-achieved-critical-mass-printing-press-yelling-stop-presses-didn-t.html |title=How the Earlier Media Achieved Critical Mass |first=D. J. R. |last=Bruckner |date=20 November 1995 |newspaper=The New York Times |quote=the circulation of The Times rose from 5,000 in 1815 to 50,000 in the 1850s. |access-date=18 February 2017 |archive-date=1 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170701112056/http://www.nytimes.com/1995/11/20/business/earlier-media-achieved-critical-mass-printing-press-yelling-stop-presses-didn-t.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Thomas Barnes (journalist)|Thomas Barnes]] was appointed general editor in 1817. In the same year, the paper's printer, James Lawson, died and passed the business onto his son, John Joseph Lawson (1802–1852). Under the editorship of Barnes and his successor in 1841, [[John Thadeus Delane]], the influence of ''The Times'' rose to great heights, especially in politics and amongst the [[City of London]]. Peter Fraser and Edward Sterling were two noted journalists, and gained for ''The Times'' the pompous/satirical nickname 'The Thunderer' (from "We thundered out the other day an article on social and political reform."). The increased circulation and influence of the paper were based in part to its early adoption of the steam-driven rotary printing press. Distribution via [[Rail transport|steam trains]] to rapidly growing concentrations of urban populations helped ensure the profitability of the paper and its growing influence.<ref>Lomas, Claire. "[http://journalism.winchester.ac.uk/?page=353 The Steam Driven Rotary Press, The Times and the Empire] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110317185723/http://journalism.winchester.ac.uk/?page=353 |date=17 March 2011 }}"</ref>

[[File:Sir John Everett Millais - Peace Concluded - Google Art Project.jpg|thumb|upright=0.9|A wounded British officer reading ''The Times's'' report of the end of the [[Crimean War]], in [[John Everett Millais]]' painting ''[[Peace Concluded]]'']]
''The Times'' was one of the first newspapers to send [[war correspondent]]s to cover particular conflicts. [[William Howard Russell]], the paper's correspondent with the army in the [[Crimean War]], was immensely influential with his dispatches back to England.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DXu6XL4g4agC&pg=PA2|title=The First Casualty: The War Correspondent as Hero and Myth-Maker from the Crimea to Iraq|last=Knightley|first=Phillip|date=5 October 2004|publisher=JHU Press|isbn=978-0-8018-8030-8|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|date=January 1896|title=War Correspondents|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aw0HAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA129|journal=The Edinburgh Review|volume=183|issue=375|pages=129}}</ref>

===1890 to 1981===
''The Times'' faced financial failure in 1890 under [[Arthur Fraser Walter]], but it was rescued by an energetic editor, [[Charles Frederic Moberly Bell]]. During his tenure (1890–1911), ''The Times'' became associated with selling the ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]'' using aggressive American marketing methods introduced by [[Horace Everett Hooper]] and his advertising executive, Henry Haxton. Due to legal fights between the ''Britannica's'' two owners, Hooper and [[Walter Montgomery Jackson]], ''The Times'' severed its connection in 1908 and was bought by pioneering newspaper [[magnate]], [[Alfred Harmsworth]], later Lord Northcliffe.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alfred-Charles-William-Harmsworth-Viscount-Northcliffe-of-Saint-Peter|title=Alfred Charles William Harmsworth, Viscount Northcliffe {{!}} British publisher|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en|access-date=28 December 2019|archive-date=13 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200313064732/https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alfred-Charles-William-Harmsworth-Viscount-Northcliffe-of-Saint-Peter|url-status=live}}</ref>

In editorials published on 29 and 31 July 1914, [[Wickham Steed]], the ''Times's'' Chief Editor, argued that the [[British Empire]] should enter [[World War I]].<ref>Ferguson, Niall (1999). ''The Pity of War'' London: Basic Books. p. 217. {{ISBN|978-0-465-05711-5}}</ref> On 8 May 1920, also under the editorship of [[Wickham Steed|Steed]], ''The Times'', in an editorial, endorsed the [[anti-Semitic]] fabrication ''[[The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion]]'' as a genuine document, and called Jews the world's greatest danger. In the leader entitled "The Jewish Peril, a Disturbing Pamphlet: Call for Inquiry", Steed wrote about ''The Protocols of the Elders of Zion'': <blockquote>What are these 'Protocols'? Are they authentic? If so, what malevolent assembly concocted these plans and gloated over their exposition? Are they forgery? If so, whence comes the uncanny note of prophecy, prophecy in part fulfilled, in part so far gone in the way of fulfillment?".<ref>Friedländer, Saul (1997). ''Nazi Germany and the Jews''. New York: HarperCollins. p. 95. {{ISBN|978-0-06-019042-2}}</ref></blockquote> The following year, when [[Philip Graves]], the [[Constantinople]] (modern [[Istanbul]]) correspondent of ''The Times'', exposed ''The Protocols'' as a forgery,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ballylickeymanorhouse.com/history/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100701191603/http://www.ballylickeymanorhouse.com/history/|url-status=dead|archive-date=1 July 2010| title=The Graves family in Ireland |publisher=Ballylickey Manor House|date=1 July 2010|access-date=28 December 2019}}</ref> ''The Times'' retracted the editorial of the previous year.

In 1922, [[John Jacob Astor, 1st Baron Astor of Hever|John Jacob Astor]], son of the [[William Waldorf Astor, 1st Viscount Astor|1st Viscount Astor]], bought ''The Times'' from the [[Alfred Harmsworth|Northcliffe estate]]. The paper gained a measure of notoriety in the 1930s with its advocacy of German [[appeasement]]; editor [[Geoffrey Dawson]] was closely allied with government supporters of appeasement, most notably [[Neville Chamberlain]]. Candid news reports by [[Norman Ebbutt|Norman Ebbut]] from Berlin that warned of Nazi warmongering were rewritten in London to support the appeasement policy.<ref>Gordon Martel, ed. ''The Times and Appeasement: The Journals of A L Kennedy, 1932–1939'' (2000).</ref><ref>Frank McDonough,  "The Times, Norman Ebbut and the Nazis, 1927–37." Journal of Contemporary History 27.3 (1992): 407–424.</ref>

[[Kim Philby]], a double agent with primary allegiance to the [[Soviet Union]], was a correspondent for the newspaper in Spain during the [[Spanish Civil War]] of the late 1930s. Philby was admired for his courage in obtaining high-quality reporting from the front lines of the bloody conflict. He later joined British Military Intelligence ([[MI6]]) during [[World War II]], was promoted into senior positions after the war ended, and defected to the [[Soviet Union]] when discovery was inevitable in 1963.<ref>{{cite book |title= Treason in the blood: H. St. John Philby, Kim Philby, and the spy case of the century |first=Anthony |last=Cave Brown |year=1995 |publisher=Robert Hale |location =London |isbn=978-0-7090-5582-2}}</ref>

[[File:Frontpage weekly magazine "The Times" May 15 1940, With headline "The Old prime minister and the new".jpg|thumb|Frontpage weekly magazine ''The Times'', 15 May 1940, with headline: "The old prime minister and the new".]]
Between 1941 and 1946, the left-wing British historian [[E. H. Carr]] was assistant editor. Carr was well known for the strongly pro-Soviet tone of his editorials.<ref>Beloff, Max. "The Dangers of Prophecy" pages 8–10 from ''History Today'', Volume 42, Issue # 9, September 1992 page 9</ref> In December 1944, when fighting broke out in [[Athens]] between the Greek Communist [[Greek People's Liberation Army|ELAS]] and the British Army, Carr in a ''Times'' [[Leading article|leader]] sided with the Communists, leading [[Winston Churchill]] to condemn him and the article in a speech to the House of Commons.<ref>Davies, Robert William. "Edward Hallett Carr, 1892–1982" pages 473–511 from ''Proceedings of the British Academy'', Volume 69, 1983 page 489</ref> As a result of Carr's editorial, ''The Times'' became popularly known during that stage of World War II as "the [[Threepence (British coin)|threepenny]] ''[[Morning Star (British newspaper)|Daily Worker]]''" (the price of the Communist Party's ''Daily Worker'' being one penny).<ref>Haslam, Jonathan. "We Need a Faith: E.H. Carr, 1892–1982" pages 36–39 from ''History Today'', Volume 33, August 1983 page 37</ref>

[[File:Roy Thomson Cropped.jpg|thumb|left|[[Roy Thomson, 1st Baron Thomson of Fleet|Roy Thomson]]]]
On 3 May 1966, it resumed printing news on the front page; previously, the front page had been given over to small advertisements, usually of interest to the moneyed classes in British society. Also in 1966, the [[Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom|Royal Arms]], which had been a feature of the newspaper's masthead since its inception, was abandoned.<ref>{{cite book|last=Hasler|first=Charles|title=The Royal Arms&nbsp;— Its Graphic And Decorative Development|publisher=Jupiter Books|date=1980|page=[https://archive.org/details/royalarmsitsgrap0000hasl/page/302 302]|isbn=978-0904041200|url=https://archive.org/details/royalarmsitsgrap0000hasl/page/302}}</ref>{{Sfn|Stewart|2005|p=63}} In the same year, members of the [[Astor family]] sold the paper to Canadian publishing magnate [[Roy Thomson, 1st Baron Thomson of Fleet|Roy Thomson]]. His [[Thomson Corporation]] brought it under the same ownership as ''[[The Sunday Times]]'' to form [[News UK#Times Newspapers Ltd|Times Newspapers Limited]].<ref>{{cite web |first=Rory |last=Carruthers |title=Company history |url=https://www.thomsonreuters.com/en/about-us/company-history.html |archive-date=24 February 2024 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240224042601/https://www.thomsonreuters.com/en/about-us/company-history.html |website=www.thomsonreuters.com |access-date=11 October 2021}}</ref>

An industrial dispute prompted the management to shut down the paper for nearly a year, from 1 December 1978 to 12 November 1979.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/13/newsid_2539000/2539795.stm |date=13 November 1979 |title=1979: Times returns after year-long dispute|work=[[BBC News|BBC]] On This Day |archive-date=24 February 2024 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240224042309/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/13/newsid_2539000/2539795.stm}}</ref>

The Thomson Corporation management was struggling to run the business due to the [[1979 energy crisis]] and union demands. Management sought a buyer who was in a position to guarantee the survival of both titles, had the resources, and was committed to funding the introduction of modern printing methods.{{Citation needed|date=December 2019}}

Several suitors appeared, including [[Robert Maxwell]], [[Tiny Rowland]] and [[Lord Rothermere]]; however, only one buyer was in a position to meet the full Thomson remit, Australian media magnate [[Rupert Murdoch]].<ref>{{cite web |title=About us |url=https://www.thetimes.com/static/about-us/ |quote=The Times and The Sunday Times were first held under common ownership by Lord Thomson in 1966 as Times Media Limited and were bought by Rupert Murdoch in 1981. Times Media is now part of News UK. Both papers introduced digital subscriptions in 2010 to help ensure a sustainable future for their journalism. |archive-date=24 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240224040515/https://www.thetimes.com/static/about-us/ |url-status=live |location=London |website=thetimes.com |access-date=11 October 2021 |language=en}}</ref> [[Robert Holmes à Court]], another Australian magnate, had previously tried to buy ''The Times'' in 1980.<ref>{{cite book |last1=McIlwraith |first1=John |title=Holmes à Court, Michael Robert (1937–1990) |chapter=Michael Robert Holmes à Court (1937–1990) |url=https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/holmes-a-court-michael-robert-12647 |via=Australian Dictionary of Biography |publisher=National Centre of Biography, Australian National University |access-date=11 October 2021 |language=en |orig-year=2007 |volume=17 |year=2007 |archive-date=24 February 2024 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240224035849/https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/holmes-a-court-michael-robert-12647}}</ref>

===From 1981===
In 1981, ''The Times'' and ''The Sunday Times'' were bought from Thomson by Rupert Murdoch's [[News UK|News International]].<ref name = acquisition>{{cite book|title= The History of the Times: The Murdoch years, 1981–2002|first1=Graham|last1=Stewart|publisher=HarperCollins|year=2005|isbn=0-00-718438-7| page=45|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=eZZZAAAAMAAJ&q=The+History+of+the+Times:+The+Murdoch+years,+1981-2002}}</ref> The acquisition followed three weeks of intensive bargaining with the unions by company negotiators John Collier and [[Bill O'Neill (media)|Bill O'Neill]]. Murdoch gave legal undertakings to maintain separate journalism resources for the two titles.<ref name=BBC2019-04-11>{{cite news | title = Murdoch wins preliminary backing to merge his Times titles | work = [[BBC News Online]] | date = 11 April 2019 | url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-47895062 | access-date = 12 April 2019 | archive-date = 11 April 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190411220201/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-47895062 | url-status = live }}</ref> The [[Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom|Royal Arms]] were reintroduced to the masthead at about this time, but whereas previously it had been that of the reigning monarch, it would now be that of the [[House of Hanover]], who were on the throne when the newspaper was founded.{{Sfn|Stewart|2005|p=63}}

After 14 years as editor, [[William Rees-Mogg]] resigned upon completion of the change of ownership.<ref name = acquisition/> Murdoch began to make his mark on the paper by appointing [[Harold Evans]] as his replacement.<ref name="Stewart, p 51">Stewart, p. 51</ref> One of his most important changes was the introduction of new technology and efficiency measures. Between March 1981 and May 1982, following agreement with print unions, the hot-metal [[Linotype machine|Linotype]] printing process used to print ''The Times'' since the 19th century was phased out and replaced by computer input and photocomposition. ''The Times'' and the ''Sunday Times'' were able to reduce their print room staff by half as a result.<!--from 375 to 186--> However, direct input of text by journalists ("single-stroke" input) was still not achieved, and this was to remain an interim measure until the [[Wapping dispute]] of 1986, when ''The Times'' moved from New [[Printing House Square]] in Gray's Inn Road (near [[Fleet Street]]) to new offices in [[Wapping]].<ref>Hamilton, Alan. "The Times bids farewell to old technology". ''The Times'', 1 May 1982, p. 2, col. C.</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=Good Times, Bad Times|last=Evans|first=Harold|publisher=Weidenfeld & Nicolson|year=1984|isbn=978-0-297-78295-7|location=London|pages= 182}}</ref>

[[Robert Fisk]],<ref>{{cite book|first=Robert |last=Fisk|year=2005|title=The Great War for Civilisation: The Conquest of the Middle East|publisher=Fourth Estate |location =London|pages=329–334|isbn=1-84115-007-X}}</ref> seven times British International Journalist of the Year,<ref>{{cite news|date=3 December 2005|title=Viewpoint: UK war reporter Robert Fisk|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4393358.stm|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20051208212035/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4393358.stm|archive-date=8 December 2005|work=BBC News}}</ref> resigned as foreign correspondent in 1988 over what he saw as "political censorship" of his article on the shooting down of [[Iran Air Flight 655]] in July 1988. He wrote in detail about his reasons for resigning from the paper due to meddling with his stories, and the paper's pro-Israel stance.<ref>Robert Fisk, [https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/press/robert-fisk-why-i-had-to-leave-the-times-2311569.html Why I had to leave The Times] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171019041959/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/press/robert-fisk-why-i-had-to-leave-the-times-2311569.html |date=19 October 2017 }}, The Independent, 11 July 2011.</ref>

In June 1990, ''The Times'' ceased its policy of using courtesy titles ("Mr", "Mrs", or "Miss" prefixes) for living persons before full names on the first reference, but it continues to use them before surnames on subsequent references. In 1992, it accepted the use of "Ms" for unmarried women "if they express a preference."<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MOykn3dMaJIC&q=%22the+times+of+london%22+%22courtesy+titles%22&pg=PA188|title=Writing Broadcast News: Shorter, Sharper, Stronger|last=Block|first=Mervin|date=1997|publisher=Bonus Books, Inc.|isbn=978-1-56625-084-9|language=en}}</ref>

In November 2003, News International began producing the newspaper in both broadsheet and tabloid sizes.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.spectator.co.uk/2003/11/the-times-has-gone-tabloid-where-will-the-broadsheet-revolution-end/|title=The Times has gone tabloid: where will the broadsheet revolution end?|last=Glover|first=Stephen|date=29 November 2003|website=The Spectator|language=en-US|access-date=29 December 2019|archive-date=29 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191229070529/https://www.spectator.co.uk/2003/11/the-times-has-gone-tabloid-where-will-the-broadsheet-revolution-end/|url-status=live}}</ref> Over the next year, the broadsheet edition was withdrawn from [[Northern Ireland]], [[Scotland]], and the [[West Country]]. Since 1 November 2004, the paper has been printed solely in tabloid format.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/why-the-times-had-to-change-531639.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220620/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/why-the-times-had-to-change-531639.html |archive-date=20 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Why the Times had to change|last=Snoddy|first=Raymond|date=1 November 2004|website=The Independent|language=en|access-date=29 December 2019}}</ref>

On 6 June 2005, ''The Times'' redesigned its Letters page, dropping the practice of printing correspondents' full postal addresses. Published letters were long regarded as one of the paper's key constituents. According to its [[leading article]] "From Our Own Correspondents", the reason for the removal of full postal addresses was to fit more letters onto the page.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/from-our-own-correspondents-st83m3tm08m|title=From our own correspondents|date=6 June 2005|work=The Times|access-date=28 December 2019|language=en|issn=0140-0460|archive-date=28 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191228223304/https://www.thetimes.com/article/from-our-own-correspondents-st83m3tm08m|url-status=live}}</ref>

In a 2007 meeting with the [[House of Lords]] Select Committee on Communications, which was investigating media ownership and the news, Murdoch stated that the law and the independent board prevented him from exercising editorial control.<ref name=Parliament070917>{{cite conference|title=Minute of the meeting with Mr Rupert Murdoch, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, News Corporation |book-title=Inquiry into Media Ownership and the News |page=10 |publisher=House of Commons Select Committee on Communications |date=17 September 2007 |url=http://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/us.doc |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071201082014/http://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/us.doc |archive-date=1 December 2007 }}
</ref>

In May 2008, printing of ''The Times'' switched from Wapping to new plants at [[Waltham Cross]] in Hertfordshire, and [[Merseyside]] and [[Glasgow]], enabling the paper to be produced with full colour on every page for the first time.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2004/oct/08/newsinternational.rupertmurdoch|title=Fortress Wapping to Waltham Cross as News International moves its presses|last=Tryhorn|first=Chris|date=8 October 2004|work=The Guardian|access-date=28 December 2019|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=28 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191228224254/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2004/oct/08/newsinternational.rupertmurdoch|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 26 July 2012, to coincide with the official start of the [[London 2012 Olympics]] and the issuing of a series of souvenir front covers, ''The Times'' added the suffix "of London" to its masthead.{{citation needed|date=November 2021}}

In March 2016, the paper dropped its rolling digital coverage for a series of 'editions' of the paper at 9am, midday, and 5pm on weekdays.<ref name="Rawlinson 2016">{{cite web | last=Rawlinson | first=Kevin | title=The Times drops online rolling news for four editions a day | website=The Guardian | date=30 March 2016 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/mar/30/times-rolling-editions-website-sunday-times-apps | access-date=16 April 2018 | archive-date=27 March 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180327212454/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/mar/30/times-rolling-editions-website-sunday-times-apps | url-status=live }}</ref> The change also saw a redesign of the paper's app for smartphones and tablets.<ref name="News UK 2016">{{cite news | title=The Times and The Sunday Times launch new website and apps | website=News UK | date=30 March 2016 | url=https://www.news.co.uk/2016/03/the-times-and-the-sunday-times-launch-new-website-and-smartphone-apps/ | access-date=16 April 2018 | archive-date=27 March 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180327213136/https://www.news.co.uk/2016/03/the-times-and-the-sunday-times-launch-new-website-and-smartphone-apps/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

In April 2018, IPSO upheld a complaint against ''The Times'' for its report of a court hearing in a Tower Hamlets fostering case.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.ipso.co.uk/rulings-and-resolution-statements/ruling/?id=07966-19|title=07966-19 Water UK v The Times|website=www.ipso.co.uk |archive-date=24 February 2024 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240224045459/https://www.ipso.co.uk/rulings-and-resolution-statements/ruling/?id=07966-19}}</ref>

In April 2019, [[Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport|culture secretary]] [[Jeremy Wright]] said he was minded to allow a request by [[News UK]] to relax the legal undertakings given in 1981 to maintain separate journalism resources for ''The Times'' and ''The Sunday Times''.<ref name=BBC2019-04-11 /><ref>{{cite web |last1=Wright |first1=Jeremy |title=Media Matters:Written statement – HCWS1677 |url=https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2019-06-27/HCWS1677/ |website=www.parliament.uk |access-date=28 June 2019 |archive-date=9 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200309160047/https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2019-06-27/HCWS1677/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2019, IPSO upheld complaints against ''The Times'' over their article "GPS data shows container visited trafficking hotspot",<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ipso.co.uk/rulings-and-resolution-statements/ruling/?id=08527-19|title=08527-19 O'Nion v The Times|publisher=IPSO|access-date=23 June 2020|archive-date=23 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200623043452/https://www.ipso.co.uk/rulings-and-resolution-statements/ruling/?id=08527-19|url-status=live}}</ref> and for three articles as part of a series on pollution in Britain's waterways: "No river safe for bathing", "Filthy Business", and "Behind the story".<ref name="auto1"/> IPSO also upheld complaints in 2019 against articles headlined "Funding secret of scientists against hunt trophy ban,"<ref>{{cite web |title=08417-19 Cooney et al. v The Times |url=https://www.ipso.co.uk/rulings-and-resolution-statements/ruling/?id=08417-19 |publisher=IPSO |access-date=11 October 2021 |archive-date=2 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211002230133/https://www.ipso.co.uk/rulings-and-resolution-statements/ruling/?id=08417-19 |url-status=live }}</ref> and "Britons lose out to rush of foreign medical students."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ipso.co.uk/rulings-and-resolution-statements/ruling/?id=04817-19|title=04817-19 Wilson v Sunday Times|publisher=IPSO|access-date=23 June 2020|archive-date=25 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200625102124/https://www.ipso.co.uk/rulings-and-resolution-statements/ruling/?id=04817-19|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2019, ''The Times'' published an article about Imam Abdullah Patel that wrongly claimed Patel had blamed Israel for the 2003 murder of a British police officer by a terror suspect in Manchester. The story also wrongly claimed that Patel ran a primary school that had been criticised by [[Ofsted]] for segregating parents at events, which Ofsted said was contrary to "British democratic principles." ''The Times'' settled Patel's defamation claim by issuing an apology and offering to pay damages and legal costs. Patel's solicitor, Zillur Rahman, said the case "highlights the shocking level of journalism to which the Muslim community are often subject".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Charlotte |first1=Tobitt |title=Times apologises and pays libel damages to imam who appeared on BBC debate |url=https://www.pressgazette.co.uk/times-apologises-and-pays-libel-damages-to-imam-who-appeared-on-bbc-debate/ |access-date=14 December 2020 |work=Press Gazette |date=12 December 2019 |archive-date=20 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120004736/https://www.pressgazette.co.uk/times-apologises-and-pays-libel-damages-to-imam-who-appeared-on-bbc-debate/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2019, ''The Times'' published an article titled "Female Circumcision is like clipping a nail, claimed speaker". The article featured a photo of [[Sultan Choudhury]] beside the headline, leading some readers to incorrectly infer that Choudhury had made the comment. Choudhury lodged a complaint with the [[Independent Press Standards Organisation]] (IPSO) and sued ''The Times'' for libel. In 2020, ''The Times'' issued an apology, amended its article, and agreed to pay Choudhury damages and legal costs. Choudhury's solicitor, Nishtar Saleem, said, "This is another example of irresponsible journalism. Publishing sensational excerpts on a 'free site' while concealing the full article behind a paywall is a dangerous game".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.inpublishing.co.uk/articles/the-times-publishes-apology-to-sultan-choudhury-obe-15658 |title=The Times publishes apology to Sultan Choudhury OBE |archive-date=24 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240224052631/https://www.inpublishing.co.uk/articles/the-times-publishes-apology-to-sultan-choudhury-obe-15658 |url-status=live |date=30 July 2020 |work=InPublishing |location=Eynsford, Kent, England}}</ref>

In December 2020, [[Cage (organisation)|Cage]] and [[Moazzam Begg]] received damages of £30,000 plus costs in a libel case they had brought against ''The Times'' newspaper. In June 2020, a report in ''The Times'' suggested that Cage and Begg were supporting a man who had been arrested in relation to a knife attack in Reading in which three men were murdered. ''The Times'' report also suggested that Cage and Begg were excusing the actions of the accused man by mentioning mistakes made by the police and others. In addition to paying damages, ''The Times'' printed an apology. Cage stated that the damages amount would be used to "expose state-sponsored Islamophobia and those complicit with it in the press. ... The Murdoch press empire has actively supported xenophobic elements and undermined principles of open society and accountability. ... We will continue to shine a light on war criminals and torture apologists and press barons who fan the flames of hate".<ref name="ms041220">{{cite news |last1=Sabin |first1=Lamiat |title=The Times pays £30k damages over article defaming Muslim activists |url=https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/b/the-times-pays-30k-damages-over-article-defaming-muslim-activists |access-date=8 December 2020 |work=Morning Star |date=4 December 2020 |language=en |archive-date=24 February 2024 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240224054415/https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/b/the-times-pays-30k-damages-over-article-defaming-muslim-activists}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Harroon |last=Siddique |title=Times pays damages to advocacy group falsely linked to Reading killer |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/dec/04/times-pays-damages-to-advocacy-group-cage-over-false-claim-of-link-to-killer |access-date=7 June 2021 |work=The Guardian |date=4 December 2020 |language=en |archive-date=24 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240224054606/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/dec/04/times-pays-damages-to-advocacy-group-cage-over-false-claim-of-link-to-killer |url-status=live}}</ref>

Long described as Britain’s "newspaper of record", ''The Times'' was forced to correct a false article in January 2025 about [[electric vehicle]] (EV) sales, following successful complaint to [[Independent Press Standards Organisation|IPSO]].<ref>[https://bylinetimes.com/2025/01/13/the-times-was-forced-to-correct-a-misleading-article-claiming-electric-vehicle-demand-is-falling-when-its-actually-rising/ Mortimer J (13 January 2025) The Times Is Forced to Correct a Misleading Article Claiming Electric Vehicle Demand Is Falling When It’s Actually Rising ''Byline Times'']. Retrieved 25 February 2025.</ref>