The Times: Product Context

Question 1

When was The Times first published?

Answer 1

• The Times newspaper is a British national ‘quality’ newspaper, first published in 1785. These newspapers can also be referred to as ‘broadsheets’, derived from their original larger size.

Question 2

Who owns The Times and what do they also publish?

Answer 2

• The Times has been published by Times Newspapers since 1981, a subsidiary of News UK which is wholly owned by News Corp, Rupert Murdoch’s company.
• The company also publishes the Sunday Times, the Sun, the Sun on Sunday and until recently, the News of The World. It had been owned by a vast range of news organisations and conglomerates prior to this.

Question 3

What is the political allegiance of The Times?

Answer 3

• Politically, The Times adopts a more neutral position compared to the explicit political allegiance of the tabloid press.
• However, it does have a slightly right-wing allegiance and supports the Conservative party at key times, such as
  when there is a general election.
• It has however, supported the Labour party on occasion during election periods, mostly recently in 2005.

Question 4

What is the purpose of The Times?

Answer 4

The newspaper describes itself as the following: ‘A faithful recorder of the times for more than 200 years. It is authoritative, credible, responsible, trusted and a part of the nation’s cultural heritage. A premium British brand, recognised the world over.’

Question 5

When was the set text published?

Answer 5

The set edition was published on February 1st, 2022 and focuses on the report into the investigation into parties held at Downing Street while the country was under lockdown restrictions.