The New York Times

From Metapedia

The New York Times is a daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed internationally. It is owned by The New York Times Company, which publishes 15 other newspapers, including the International Herald Tribune and The Boston Globe. It is the largest metropolitan newspaper in the United States. Nicknamed the "Gray Lady" for its staid appearance and style, it is often regarded as a national newspaper of record, meaning that it is frequently relied upon as the authoritative reference for modern events. Founded in 1851, the newspaper has won 98 Pulitzer Prizes,^[1] more than any other newspaper.^[2] The newspaper's title, like other similarly-named publications, is often abbreviated to the Times. Its motto, always printed in the upper left-hand corner of the front page, is: "All the news that's fit to print."

The publisher is Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr., part of the Jewish family that has controlled the paper since 1896. Sulzberger is widely seen as being under increasing pressure lately as dissident investors have pressed the company for board representation as the company's circulation figures have plummeted amidst an industry-wide circulation downturn and a migration of readers and advertisers to the internet.

[edit] History

The New York Times was founded on September 18, 1851 by journalist and politician Henry Jarvis Raymond and former banker George Jones as the New-York Daily Times. The paper changed to The New York Times in 1857. The newspaper was originally published every day but Sunday, but during the Civil War the Times along with other major dailies started publishing Sunday issues.

The paper's growing influence was seen when, in 1870 and 1871, a series of Times exposés targeting Boss Tweed ended the Tweed Ring's domination of New York's city hall.^[3]

In the 1880s, the Times transitioned from supporting Republican candidates to becoming politically independent; in 1884, the paper supported Democrat Grover Cleveland in his first presidential election. While this move hurt the Times's readership, the paper regained most of its lost ground within a few years.

The Times was acquired by Adolph Ochs, publisher of The Chattanooga Times, in 1896. In 1897, he coined the paper's slogan, "All The News That's Fit To Print," interpreted as a jab at competing papers in New York City (the New York World and the New York Journal American) known for lurid yellow journalism. Under his guidance, The New York Times achieved international scope, circulation, and reputation.

The paper moved its headquarters to 42nd Street in 1904, giving its name to Times Square. It was here that the New Year's Eve tradition of lowering a lighted ball from the Times building was started by the paper. After nine years in Times Square, the paper relocated to 229 West 43rd Street. It remained there until spring 2007, and is now three blocks south at 620 Eighth Avenue. The original Times Square building, known as One Times Square, was sold in 1961.

During the next two decades, the Times used new technology to obtain news and deliver it to readers. In 1904, the Times received the first on-the-spot wireless transmission from a naval battle, a report of the destruction of the Russian fleet at the Battle of Port Arthur in the Yellow Sea from the press-boat Haimun during the Russo-Japanese war. In 1910, the first air delivery of the Times to Philadelphia began. The Times' first trans-Atlantic delivery to London occurred in 1919. Finally, in 1920, a "4 A.M. Airplane Edition" was sent by plane to Chicago so it could be in the hands of Republican convention delegates by evening.

In the 1940s, the paper extended its breadth and reach. The crossword began appearing regularly in 1942, and the fashion section in 1946. The Times began an international edition in 1946. The international edition stopped publishing in 1967, when it joined the owners of the New York Herald Tribune and The Washington Post to publish the International Herald Tribune in Paris. The paper bought a classical radio station (WQXR) in 1946.