When a failed coal merchant called John Walter decided to launch a daily newspaper in 1785, it was not because he wanted to enlighten the public about the latest ructions in France or the prospects facing convicts in Botany Bay. Walter had just bought a new-fangled printing press which he hoped would make his fortune in book publishing, and he thought that a daily news sheet would be an excellent place to publicise it.
As it happened, logographic printing, revolutionary as it was, turned out to be expensive and inefficient, while the public’s desire to know about the real revolution in France became insatiable. And so, despite himself, Walter became a news baron.
In its 226-year history The Times has continually incorporated new technologies into producing and distributing the newspaper. John Walter launched the paper in 1785 to publicise logographic printing, which he hoped would make his fortune.
John Walter II installed the first newspaper steam printing press in 1814, a high-speed operation allowing later deadlines, which gave the paper a huge advantage over its rivals in relaying the latest news from the war in Europe.
The importance of speed, both in collecting and distributing the news, even led to The Times investing in its own boat to carry dispatches back across the Channel. During the railway boom of the 1840s, the newspaper chartered a special train to bring election results to London and later had its own train to deliver papers to the far ends of the country.
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In 1904, The Times introduced what is believed to be the first home delivery system, with a 23 per cent discount to subscribers. Railway remained the chief distribution route until the 1970s, when road transport took over, but the introduction of regional printing presses also helped to cut down delivery times.
Developments in telegraphy transformed news gathering.
In 1844, Queen Victoria’s fourth child drew the headline: “Accouchement of Her Majesty. Birth of a Prince,” followed by the proud statement: “We are indebted to the extraordinary power of the Electro-Magnetic Telegraph for the rapid communication of this important announcement.”
In 1902, The Times became the first newspaper to receive a transatlantic wireless message.
Computers first came into use in 1967, when The Times incorporated computerised calculations relating to share dealings. In 1982 it became the first national newspaper to be set entirely by photocomposition, and in 1996 the first Times website was launched. thetimes.co.uk is the latest generation of an ever updating web presence.
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Having filed their copy by every means from carrier pigeon to satellite phone through the years, Times correspondents now regularly blog straight to the website, thetimes.co.uk.
Today the combined arms of print, website, iPad and iPhone editions offer an unprecedented choice of news delivery for the oldest continuously published daily newspaper.