A UK digital-only news publisher, founded in 1986 as a national newspaper, now running The Independent, indy100 and international editions.
The Independent is a British news publisher that has been online-only since March 2016. It began as a national newspaper in 1986 and now publishes The Independent website, the viral and trending brand indy100, video through Independent TV, and licensed international editions such as Independent Arabia and Independent en Espanol. In 2024 it also took over the BuzzFeed and HuffPost UK brands under a licensing deal.
The paper was launched on 7 October 1986 by three former Daily Telegraph journalists, Andreas Whittam Smith, Stephen Glover and Matthew Symonds. It aimed for the political centre ground and competed with The Guardian and The Times, reaching a circulation above 400,000 by 1989. It moved from broadsheet to compact size in 2003, and its Sunday sister paper ran from 1990 until 2016. It is generally described as centrist or centre-left, and it has been known for campaigning journalism. We did not find a modern formal mission statement on the pages we read.
The company behind it is Independent Digital News and Media Limited. Its headquarters is listed as the Alphabeta Building in Finsbury Square, London, and its journalists worked from Northcliffe House on Kensington High Street from 2008. Its owners include Evgeny Lebedev, Sultan Muhammad Abuljadayel and Justin Byam Shaw. Geordie Greig became editor-in-chief in January 2023 and Christian Broughton became chief executive later that year.
Indy100 began in 2014 as i100 and took its current name in 2016, and Independent Arabia launched in 2018 under licence from the Saudi Research and Media Group. Because it only publishes online, its roles are digital-first: reporters and editors, video producers, data and audience specialists, social media teams, developers, commercial and advertising staff and licensing partners. Past editors include Andrew Marr, Rosie Boycott and Simon Kelner, and in 2024 it won Best Digital Publishing Company, according to Wikipedia.
Its international editions show how a UK brand can work across languages. If you are interested in news, video or audience growth, it is a useful example of how a traditional newspaper can change into a digital business. Its culture claims were not found on the pages read, so ask staff and read current job adverts to learn more.
Website: www.independent.co.uk
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