History of Reuters in Timeline

Reuters is a major international news agency, owned by Thomson Reuters. It operates globally with a large staff of journalists and photojournalists in numerous locations. Reuters produces news content in multiple languages and is recognized as one of the world's leading news providers.

1915: Death of Herbert de Reuter

In 1915, Herbert de Reuter, Reuter's son and general manager, died by suicide.

1916: Return to Private Ownership

In 1916, the company returned to private ownership after Roderick Jones and Mark Napier purchased all shares, renaming it "Reuters Limited."

1919: False Reports on Korean Protests

In 1919, Reuters issued reports falsely describing the March 1st Movement protests in Korea as violent Bolshevik uprisings. These reports potentially negatively influenced international opinion on Korea.

1923: Use of Radio for International News Transmission

In 1923, Reuters pioneered the use of radio to transmit news internationally.

1925: Acquisition by the Press Association

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 to serve national interests. The PA also sold half of Reuters to the Newspaper Proprietors' Association in 1941.

1947: Expanded Co-ownership and Reuters Trust

In 1947, co-ownership of Reuters was expanded to include associations representing daily newspapers in New Zealand and Australia. The new owners formed the Reuters Trust.

1961: Reuters Scoops News of Berlin Wall Erection

In 1961, Reuters secured the scoop on the news of the erection of the Berlin Wall.

1967: Detention of Anthony Grey

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

1969: Release of Anthony Grey

In 1969, after being imprisoned for 27 months, Anthony Grey was released by the Chinese government.

1973: Computer Terminal Displays of Foreign-Exchange Rates

In 1973, Reuters started making computer-terminal displays of foreign-exchange rates available to clients.

1977: Allegations of Cooperation with the CIA

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

1981: Support for Electronic Transactions

In 1981, Reuters began supporting electronic transactions on its computer network, later developing electronic brokerage and trading services.

1984: Floated as a Public Company

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

1989: First Story of 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, American reporter Kurt Schork was killed in an ambush while on assignment in Sierra Leone.

2001: Share Price Fall After Banking Troubles

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

2002: Recognition as Major News Agency

In 2002, Britannica noted that most news worldwide came 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 in Iraq by U.S. troops.

2004: Deaths of Adlan Khasanov and Dhia Najim

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

2004: Reuters Asks for Removal of Bylines

In 2004, Reuters asked CanWest Global Communications, a Canadian newspaper chain, to remove Reuters' bylines after the chain edited articles to insert the word "terrorist".

August 2006: Severing Ties with Photographer Adnan Hajj

In August 2006, Reuters severed all ties with Lebanese freelance photographer Adnan Hajj after discovering he had doctored photos used by the agency and removed his photographs from its database.

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

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

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

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

2010: Criticism over Photo Cropping

In 2010, Reuters was criticized for "anti-Israeli" bias after cropping photos from the Gaza flotilla raid, removing knives and blood. Reuters stated it was standard procedure and replaced the images.

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, citing difficulties in publishing climate change stories.

2014: Corruption Scandal in Brazil

In 2014, several politicians from Brazil were found to be involved in corruption, accepting bribes for government contracts, leading to the Operation Car Wash investigation.

March 2015: Release of Excerpt with Editorial Comment

In March 2015, the Brazilian affiliate of Reuters released an excerpt from an interview about Operation Car Wash, including an unintended editorial comment which was later removed, creating confusion.

May 2016: Publication of Journalists' Personal Data

In May 2016, the Ukrainian website Myrotvorets published the personal data of 4,508 journalists, including Reuters reporters, accredited by 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 2018, two Reuters journalists were convicted in Myanmar of obtaining state secrets while investigating a massacre in a Rohingya village.

March 2019: Release of Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo

On March 7, 2019, Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were freed after 511 days in prison, 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 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 President and CEO

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

June 2020: Reuters Announces TASS Joins Reuters Connect

On 1 June 2020, Reuters announced that Russian news agency TASS had joined its "Reuters Connect" programme.

June 2020: Incorrect Use of Image in Story

On 9 June 2020, three Reuters journalists incorrectly used the image of an Indian herbal medicine entrepreneur in an exclusive story about an Indian cyber firm. Reuters admitted the error.

April 2021: Website Paywall Announcement

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

March 2022: Reuters removed TASS from its content marketplace

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

2022: TASS's membership in Reuters Connect under scrutiny

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

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 Among Top News Sites

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

2024: Pulitzer Prizes Won by Reuters Staff

In 2024, Reuters staff won the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting for their 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 Israel–Hamas war.