The Guardian
The Manchester Guardian first appeared on the 5th of May 1821, the very day Napoleon died. Cotton merchant John Edward Taylor launched the paper with backing from a group called the Little Circle. These non-conformist businessmen wanted to champion civil liberties and free trade after police shut down the radical Manchester Observer. Taylor had previously criticized radical reformers for appealing to passion rather than reason. The new publication promised to zealously enforce principles of liberty and support serviceable measures regardless of party origin. By 1836, the newspaper was generally hostile to labor claims regarding the Ten Hours Bill. It dismissed strikes as work by outside agitators who lived on strife. In March 2023, an academic review found that Taylor and nine of his eleven backers had links to the Atlantic slave trade through their textile interests.
C. P. Scott served as editor for 57 years starting in 1872 before buying the paper in 1907. He transformed the moderate editorial line into something more radical while opposing the Second Boer War against popular opinion. Ownership passed to the Scott Trust in June 1936 to ensure editorial independence forever. A special archival copy of all daily newspapers was preserved in 700 zinc cases from 1930 to 1967. These were discovered in 1988 at the University of Manchester's John Rylands Library. The first case contained newspapers issued in August 1930 in pristine condition. The trust converted into a limited company in 2008 with a constitution maintaining the same protections. Profits are reinvested directly into journalism rather than distributed to owners or shareholders. Dame Liz Forgan chaired the trust and reassured staff that purposes remained unchanged after the conversion.
The newspaper broke the News International phone-hacking scandal in 2011, specifically revealing the hacking of Milly Dowler's phone. This investigation led to the closure of the News of the World, one of history's highest-circulation papers. In June 2013, Edward Snowden leaked information about secret Verizon telephone record collection by the Obama administration. The Guardian subsequently revealed the existence of the PRISM surveillance program. British government agents visited offices in July 2013 to supervise destruction of hard drives containing the documents. The paper received an American Pulitzer Prize for Public Service in 2014 for its coverage. In 2016, the publication led an investigation into the Panama Papers exposing Prime Minister David Cameron's offshore bank accounts. The newspaper was named newspaper of the year four times at the British Press Awards, most recently in 2023.
A MORI poll between April and June 2000 showed that 80 percent of Guardian readers were Labour Party voters. Another poll from 2005 found 48 percent supported Labour while 34 percent backed Liberal Democrats. Three of the paper's four leader writers joined the Social Democratic Party when it formed in 1981. The paper enthusiastically supported Tony Blair's bid to become Prime Minister but opposed the Iraq War alongside the Daily Mirror. In 2015, the publication switched support to the Labour Party arguing they spoke with more urgency on social justice. During the 2017 and 2019 elections, the paper endorsed voting for opposition parties like the Scottish National Party where Labour had no chance. An editorial in 2000 favored abolition of the British monarchy. A 2013 interview revealed editors believed they should support Hugo Chávez as a standard-bearer for the left. The paper has allowed right-of-centre voices such as Sir Max Hastings and Michael Gove on its opinion pages.
The first edition cost 7d and was published weekly on Saturdays due to stamp duty taxes. When the tax was cut in 1836, the paper added a Wednesday edition. It became a daily paper costing 2d after tax abolition in 1855. On the 12th of February 1988, the newspaper redesigned its masthead using an italic Garamond The combined with bold Helvetica Guardian. Plans to change to Berliner format were announced in 2004 following moves by The Independent and The Times. The new format launched on Monday the 12th of September 2005 at a cost of £80 million. This switch involved setting up new printing presses in east London and Manchester. In June 2017, Guardian Media Group announced relaunching in tabloid format from early 2018. The new format began on the 15th of January 2018 to help cut costs through outsourcing printing to Trinity Mirror. The masthead adjusted to dark blue in July 2018. By December 2005, average daily sales stood at 380,693 copies, nearly 6 percent higher than the previous year.
The Guardian launched Guardian America in 2007 targeting over 5.9 million online US readers. Michael Tomasky headed the project before stepping down in February 2009. Guardian US officially launched in September 2011 under editor-in-chief Janine Gibson. Australian and International digital editions followed in 2013 and 2015 respectively. A European digital edition arrived in September 2023 with ten journalists and four columnists initially hired. Readership increased 15 percent after one year with Ireland, Germany, France, Spain, and the Netherlands providing biggest audiences. The paper launched a membership scheme in 2014 allowing monthly subscriptions without introducing a paywall. As of 2018, this approach brought more than 1 million subscriptions or donations. In 2016, the company established a US-based philanthropic arm raising money from organizations like Humanity United and the Skoll Foundation. The organization secured $6 million in multi-year funding commitments by March 2020. The newspaper reported breaking even in 2019 with an EBITDA profit of £0.8 million before exceptional items.
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Common questions
When did The Guardian first appear and who launched it?
The Manchester Guardian first appeared on the 5th of May 1821, the very day Napoleon died. Cotton merchant John Edward Taylor launched the paper with backing from a group called the Little Circle.
What is the history of The Guardian ownership and editorial independence?
C. P. Scott served as editor for 57 years starting in 1872 before buying the paper in 1907. Ownership passed to the Scott Trust in June 1936 to ensure editorial independence forever.
How did The Guardian expose major political scandals like phone hacking and surveillance?
The newspaper broke the News International phone-hacking scandal in 2011, specifically revealing the hacking of Milly Dowler's phone. In June 2013, The Guardian subsequently revealed the existence of the PRISM surveillance program after Edward Snowden leaked information about secret Verizon telephone record collection by the Obama administration.
Which political parties have supported The Guardian over time?
A MORI poll between April and June 2000 showed that 80 percent of Guardian readers were Labour Party voters. The paper enthusiastically supported Tony Blair's bid to become Prime Minister but opposed the Iraq War alongside the Daily Mirror.
When was The Guardian redesigned and what format changes occurred?
On the 12th of February 1988, the newspaper redesigned its masthead using an italic Garamond The combined with bold Helvetica Guardian. Plans to change to Berliner format were announced in 2004 following moves by The Independent and The Times before the new format launched on Monday the 12th of September 2005 at a cost of £80 million.
How did The Guardian expand internationally and fund its operations?
The Guardian launched Guardian America in 2007 targeting over 5.9 million online US readers. A European digital edition arrived in September 2023 with ten journalists and four columnists initially hired while the paper launched a membership scheme in 2014 allowing monthly subscriptions without introducing a paywall.