History of Reuters in Timeline

Reuters is a major international news agency, owned by Thomson Reuters. Operating globally with approximately 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in around 200 locations, it provides news coverage in 16 languages. As one of the world's largest news agencies, Reuters plays a significant role in global news dissemination.

1915: Herbert de Reuter's death

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

1916: Reuters returns to private ownership

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

1919: Reuters reports on March 1st Movement protests

In 1919, Reuters reports falsely described the anti-colonial March 1st Movement protests in Korea as violent Bolshevik uprisings. These reports were cited in international newspapers, possibly negatively influencing international opinion on Korea.

1923: Reuters begins using radio to transmit news

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

1925: The Press Association acquires majority interest in Reuters

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

1941: Reuters restructures as a private company

In 1941, Reuters deflected pressure from the British government to serve national interests by restructuring itself as a private company. The PA also sold half of Reuters to the Newspaper Proprietors' Association in 1941.

1947: Co-ownership of Reuters expanded

In 1947, co-ownership of Reuters was expanded to associations representing daily newspapers in New Zealand and Australia. The new owners formed the Reuters Trust and put in place the Reuters Trust Principles to maintain the company's independence.

1961: Reuters scoops news of Berlin Wall erection

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

1967: Anthony Grey detained in China

In 1967, Reuters journalist Anthony Grey was detained by the Chinese government while covering China's Cultural Revolution in Peking.

1969: Anthony Grey released after imprisonment

In 1969, Anthony Grey was released after being imprisoned for 27 months. He was awarded an OBE by the British Government.

1973: Reuters makes computer-terminal displays of foreign-exchange rates available

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

1977: Allegations of Reuters cooperating with the CIA

In 1977, Rolling Stone and The New York Times reported, based on information from CIA officials, that Reuters cooperated with the CIA. Reuters' then-managing director, Gerald Long, requested evidence of these charges, but none was provided.

1981: Reuters supports electronic transactions

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

1984: Reuters floated 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: Reuters publishes the first story of Berlin Wall being breached

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

May 2000: Kurt Schork killed in Sierra Leone

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

2001: Reuters' share price falls after banking troubles

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

2002: Reuters among world's major news agencies

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

August 2003: Mazen Dana killed in Iraq

In August 2003, news cameraman Mazen Dana was killed by U.S. troops in Iraq.

2004: Adlan Khasanov and Dhia Najim killed

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

2004: Reuters asks CanWest to remove bylines

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

August 2006: Reuters severs ties with Adnan Hajj

In August 2006, Reuters announced it had severed all ties with Lebanese freelance photographer Adnan Hajj after the wire service used two doctored photos by him during the 2006 Israel–Lebanon conflict.

July 2007: Namir Noor-Eldeen and Saeed Chmagh killed in Baghdad

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: Fadel Shana killed in Gaza Strip

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

2008: Reuters acquired by Thomson Corporation

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

2008: The Thomson Corporation acquires Reuters

In 2008, The Thomson Corporation of Canada acquired Reuters in a corporate merger, resulting in the formation of the Thomson Reuters Corporation.

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: Reuters criticized for anti-Israeli bias

In 2010, Reuters was criticized for "anti-Israeli" bias when it cropped photos from the 2010 Gaza flotilla raid, removing commandos' knives held by activists and a naval commando's blood.

2012: Jim Smith appointed as CEO

In 2012, Thomson Reuters appointed Jim Smith as CEO.

July 2013: David Fogarty resigns from Reuters

In July 2013, David Fogarty, former Reuters climate change correspondent in Asia, resigned after a career of almost 20 years with the company, stating that getting climate change stories published became harder.

2014: Several politicians from Brazil were found to be involved in corruption

In 2014, several politicians from Brazil were found to be involved in corruption, by accepting bribes from different corporations in exchange for government contracts.

March 2015: Brazilian affiliate of Reuters releases excerpt with an error

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 that contained an error. A comment intended for internal use was mistakenly published, causing confusion.

May 2016: Personal data of Reuters reporters published by Myrotvorets

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: Thomson Reuters agrees to sell 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: Thomson Reuters announces expansions and relocations to Toronto

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

November 2016: Thomson Reuters Corp. eliminates 2,000 jobs

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

2018: Reuters journalists convicted in Myanmar

In 2018, two Reuters journalists were convicted in Myanmar of obtaining state secrets while investigating a massacre in a Rohingya village. The arrest and convictions were widely condemned as an attack on press freedom.

May 2019: Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo freed

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

March 2020: Steve Hasker appointed president and CEO

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

June 2020: Reuters journalists use incorrect image in story

On 9 June 2020, three Reuters journalists (Jack Stubbs, Raphael Satter and Christopher Bing) incorrectly used the image of an Indian herbal medicine entrepreneur in a story about an Indian cyber firm. Reuters admitted to the error.

June 2020: TASS Joins Reuters Connect

On June 1, 2020, Reuters announced that Russian news agency TASS had joined its "Reuters Connect" program, which then included 18 partner agencies. Reuters president Michael Friedenberg expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership between TASS and Reuters.

April 2021: Reuters website to go behind a paywall

In April 2021, Reuters announced that its website would go behind a paywall, following rivals who have done the same.

March 2022: Reuters Removes TASS from Content Marketplace

On 23 March 2022, Reuters removed TASS from its "content marketplace." Matthew Keen, interim CEO of Reuters, stated that making TASS content available on Reuters Connect was not aligned with the Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

2022: Scrutiny over TASS Membership in Reuters Connect

In 2022, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, TASS's membership in Reuters Connect faced scrutiny. Reuters staff members reportedly felt "frustrated and embarrassed" that the agency had not suspended its partnership with TASS.

February 2023: Reuters journalists win Selden Ring Award

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.

December 2023: India Revokes Journalist's OCI Status

In December 2023, the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs revoked the Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) status of Reuters cybersecurity journalist Raphael Satter. The ministry alleged unauthorized journalistic activities in India, claiming the journalist violated regulations requiring OCI cardholders to obtain prior approval for such work.

March 2024: Gannett signs agreement with Reuters

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 after cancelling its contract with the Associated Press.

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: Reuters staff wins Pulitzer Prizes

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 Gaza war.

May 22, 2025: Hearing Scheduled for OCI Cancellation Challenge

On May 22, 2025, a hearing is scheduled in the Delhi High Court to challenge the OCI cancellation of a Reuters journalist, Raphael Satter, whose Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) status was revoked in December 2023 by the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs.

August 2025: Valerie Zink Resigns from Reuters

In August 2025, Valerie Zink, a photo journalist who had been working with Reuters for 8 years, resigned from the agency. She accused it of perpetuating Israel's propaganda over its war in Gaza, at the expense of other journalists including its own reporters.