History of Reuters in Timeline

Reuters is a major international news agency, currently owned by Thomson Reuters. With a global presence, it employs approximately 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists stationed in roughly 200 locations around the world. Reuters distributes news in 16 languages, establishing itself as one of the largest and most influential news agencies globally.

1915: Herbert de Reuter's Death

In 1915, Reuter's son Herbert de Reuter, who was the general manager, died by suicide.

1916: Return to Private Ownership

In 1916, the company returned to private ownership when all shares were purchased by Roderick Jones and Mark Napier, who renamed the company "Reuters Limited".

1919: False Reports on Korean Protests

In 1919, Reuters reports falsely described the March 1st Movement protests in Korea as violent Bolshevik uprisings, negatively influencing international opinion on Korea.

1923: Use of Radio for International News Transmission

In 1923, Reuters began using radio to transmit news internationally, marking a pioneering act.

1925: Press Association Acquisition

In 1925, the Press Association (PA) of Great Britain acquired a majority interest in Reuters.

1941: Restructuring as a Private Company

In 1941, Reuters restructured itself as a private company to deflect pressure from the British government. The PA also sold half of Reuters to the Newspaper Proprietors' Association in 1941.

1947: Expanded Co-ownership and Reuters Trust Formation

In 1947, co-ownership of Reuters was expanded to associations representing daily newspapers in New Zealand and Australia, leading to the formation of the Reuters Trust.

1961: Scooping News of the Berlin Wall Erection

In 1961, Reuters was the first to report news of the erection of the Berlin Wall.

1967: Anthony Grey's Detention

In 1967, Reuters journalist Anthony Grey was detained by the Chinese government in response to the jailing of Chinese journalists by the British government of Hong Kong.

1969: Anthony Grey's Release

In 1969, Anthony Grey was released after being imprisoned for 27 months.

1973: Computer-Terminal Displays of Foreign-Exchange Rates

In 1973, Reuters began providing computer-terminal displays of foreign-exchange rates to clients.

1977: Allegations of CIA Cooperation

In 1977, Rolling Stone and The New York Times reported allegations from CIA officials that Reuters cooperated with the CIA. Reuters' then-managing director requested evidence, but none was provided.

1981: Support for Electronic Transactions

In 1981, Reuters started supporting electronic transactions on its computer network, leading to the development of electronic brokerage and trading services.

1984: Flotation as a Public Company

In 1984, Reuters was floated as a public company, with Reuters Trust listed on stock exchanges including the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and NASDAQ.

1989: First Story of the Berlin Wall Being Breached

In 1989, Reuters published the first story of the Berlin Wall being breached.

May 2000: Death of Kurt Schork

In May 2000, Kurt Schork, an American reporter, was killed in an ambush while on assignment in Sierra Leone.

2001: Share Price Decline After Banking Troubles

In 2001, Reuters' share price fell after the banking troubles, following a period of growth during the dotcom boom.

2002: Britannica's Ranking of Major News Agencies

In 2002, Britannica noted that most news worldwide originated from three major agencies: the Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse.

August 2003: Death of Taras Protsyuk

In August 2003, news cameraman Taras Protsyuk was killed by U.S. troops in Iraq.

2004: Death of Adlan Khasanov and Dhia Najim

During 2004, cameraman Adlan Khasanov was killed by Chechen separatists, and Dhia Najim was killed in Iraq.

2004: Dispute over Use of "Terrorist" Term

In 2004, Reuters asked CanWest Global Communications to remove Reuters' bylines from articles where the chain had inserted the word "terrorist", citing a policy of taking a "value-neutral approach".

August 2006: Severing Ties with Adnan Hajj

In August 2006, Reuters announced it had severed all ties with Lebanese freelance photographer Adnan Hajj after discovering he had doctored photos during the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict.

July 2007: Death of Namir Noor-Eldeen and Saeed Chmagh

In July 2007, Namir Noor-Eldeen and Saeed Chmagh were killed when they were struck by fire from a U.S. military Apache helicopter in Baghdad.

April 2008: Death of Fadel Shana

In April 2008, cameraman Fadel Shana was killed in the Gaza Strip after being hit by an Israeli tank.

2008: Acquisition by Thomson Corporation

In 2008, Reuters was acquired by Thomson Corporation in Canada, forming Thomson Reuters.

January 2009: Death of Marguerite, Baroness de Reuter

On January 25, 2009, Marguerite, Baroness de Reuter, the last surviving member of the Reuters family founders, died at age 96.

2010: Criticism for Anti-Israeli Bias

In 2010, Reuters was criticized for alleged anti-Israeli bias for cropping photos from the Gaza flotilla raid, specifically removing commandos' knives held by activists.

2012: Appointment of Jim Smith as CEO

In 2012, Thomson Reuters appointed Jim Smith as CEO.

July 2013: Resignation of David Fogarty

In July 2013, David Fogarty, former Reuters climate change correspondent in Asia, resigned after stating that getting climate change stories published became harder due to comments from a deputy editor-in-chief.

2014: Operation Car Wash Scandal

In 2014, several Brazilian politicians were found to be involved in corruption by accepting bribes from corporations in exchange for government contracts, leading to the Operation Car Wash scandal.

March 2015: Release of Interview Excerpt with Fernando Henrique Cardoso

In March 2015, the Brazilian affiliate of Reuters released an excerpt from an interview with Brazilian ex-president Fernando Henrique Cardoso about Operation Car Wash, which included an editorial comment that caused confusion.

May 2016: Myrotvorets Website Publication of Journalists' Data

In May 2016, the Ukrainian website Myrotvorets published the names and personal data of 4,508 journalists, including Reuters reporters, who were accredited by self-proclaimed authorities in separatist-controlled regions of eastern Ukraine.

July 2016: Sale of Intellectual Property and Science Operation

In July 2016, Thomson Reuters agreed to sell its intellectual property and science operation for $3.55 billion to private equity firms.

October 2016: Expansions and Relocations to Toronto

In October 2016, Thomson Reuters announced expansions and relocations to Toronto.

November 2016: Elimination of 2,000 Jobs

In November 2016, Thomson Reuters Corp. eliminated 2,000 jobs worldwide as part of cuts and restructuring.

2018: Conviction of Reuters Journalists in Myanmar

In 2018, two Reuters journalists, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, were convicted in Myanmar of obtaining state secrets while investigating a massacre in a Rohingya village, which sparked widespread condemnation.

March 2019: Release of Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo

On 7 March 2019, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were freed after 511 days in prison after receiving a presidential pardon.

November 2019: UK Foreign Office released archive documents confirming funding to Reuters

In November 2019, the UK Foreign Office released archive documents confirming that it had provided funding to Reuters during the 1960s and 1970s to expand its coverage in the Middle East.

March 2020: Appointment of Steve Hasker as CEO

On 15 March 2020, Steve Hasker was appointed president and CEO of Thomson Reuters.

June 2020: Inaccurate Reporting on Indian Cyber Firm

On 9 June 2020, Reuters incorrectly used the image of an Indian herbal medicine entrepreneur in a story about an Indian cyber firm, leading to his interrogation by Indian police. Reuters admitted the error.

June 2020: TASS joined "Reuters Connect" programme

On June 1, 2020, Reuters announced that Russian news agency TASS had joined its "Reuters Connect" programme, comprising a then-total of 18 partner agencies.

April 2021: Reuters Website Paywall

In April 2021, Reuters announced that its website would go behind a paywall.

March 2022: Reuters removed TASS from its content marketplace

On March 23, 2022, Reuters removed TASS from its "content marketplace" due to misalignment with the Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

2022: Scrutiny of TASS's membership in Reuters Connect

In 2022, TASS's membership in Reuters Connect came under scrutiny following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, leading to frustration among Reuters staff members.

February 2023: Selden Ring Award for Investigation

In February 2023, a team of Reuters journalists won the Selden Ring Award for their investigation that exposed human-rights abuses by the Nigerian military.

March 2024: Agreement with Gannett

In March 2024, Gannett, the largest newspaper publisher in the United States, signed an agreement with Reuters to use the wire service's global content.

December 2024: Reuters Ranked as 27th Most Visited News Site

In December 2024, Reuters was ranked as the 27th most visited news site in the world, with over 105 million monthly readers.

2024: Pulitzer Prizes Won in 2024

In 2024, Reuters staff won the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting for work on Elon Musk and misconduct at his businesses, including SpaceX, Tesla, and Neuralink, as well as the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography for coverage of the Gaza war.