Every newspaper began with someone, on a date and in a city. These are the founders of the newspapers whose headlines Veramundi compares, from the oldest to the newest, with a source for every fact.
145 years separate the first and the last of these newspapers: The New York Times (1851) and Fox News (1996).
HRHenry Jarvis Raymond1820–1869New-York Tribune journalist; first editorPolitical ties: He played a prominent part in founding the Republican Party; he was Lieutenant Governor of New York, chairman of the Republican National Committee and a member of the House of Representatives. Earlier he belonged to the anti-slavery wing of the Whig Party.
GJGeorge Jones1811–1891New-York Tribune journalist and banker; raised the money for the paperPolitical ties: No political office or party membership recorded in the source.
EWEdward B. Wesley1811–1906Stockbroker, banker and financier; partnerPolitical ties: No political office or party membership recorded in the source.
In the first issue
It came out on 18 September 1851 as the "New-York Daily Times". It became "The New-York Times" in 1857 and dropped the hyphen in 1896.
Did you know…
It came to national recognition in the 1870s with its coverage of the corrupt New York politician Boss Tweed.
1929
First broadcastNew York1929
CBS News
97 years · radio and television
Founded by
WPWilliam S. Paley1901–1990Owner and head of CBS, which he built into a major radio and television networkPolitical ties: During World War II he directed radio operations of the psychological warfare branch of the US Office of War Information, with the rank of colonel.
PWPaul W. White1902–1955Journalist; founded the news division in 1933 and ran it for 13 yearsPolitical ties: No political office or party membership recorded in the source.
In the first broadcast
In 1929 CBS began regular radio news broadcasts: five-minute summaries taken from United Press wire reports.
Did you know…
Paul White hired Edward R. Murrow in 1935 and sent him to London in 1937 to run the radio network's European operation.
1945
FoundedNew York15 June 1945
ABC News
81 years · radio and television
Founded by
ENEdward J. Noble1882–1958Industrialist; founded ABC by buying the Blue Network radio chain in 1943. He also co-founded Life SaversPolitical ties: He was the first chairman of the Civil Aeronautics Authority and, in 1939, the first US Under Secretary of Commerce.
In the first broadcast
It began in 1943 as the Blue Network, a radio chain split off from NBC by order of the regulator (FCC) to increase competition in news; the ABC name dates from June 1945.
Did you know…
Regular television newscasts began in August 1948, when the network opened its first own station, in New York. Until the early 1970s ABC News ranked third in viewership, behind CBS and NBC.
1970
FoundedWashington26 February 1970
NPR
56 years · public radio
Founded by
DQDonald R. Quayle1930–2015Broadcast journalist; first president (1970–1973)Political ties: Before founding NPR he was a board member of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the public body that funds public radio and television.
BSBill SiemeringFirst programme director; wrote NPR's statement of purposesPolitical ties: No political office or party membership recorded in the source.
In the first broadcast
It was born on 26 February 1970, after Congress passed the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967. Its first broadcast, on 20 April 1971, covered the Senate hearings on the Vietnam War.
Did you know…
Quayle and Siemering are considered NPR's "parents". The afternoon news show "All Things Considered" premiered on 3 May 1971.
1975
First broadcastNew York20 October 1975
PBS NewsHour
51 years · public television newscast
Founded by
RMRobert MacNeil1931–2024Journalist, former NBC correspondent; anchor until 1995Political ties: No political office or party membership recorded in the source.
JLJim Lehrer1934–2020Journalist and novelist; co-anchor with MacNeilPolitical ties: No political office or party membership recorded in the source.
In the first broadcast
It premiered on 20 October 1975 as "The Robert MacNeil Report", a local WNET newscast with one topic per programme. On 1 December it went national.
Did you know…
It grew out of the pair's success in 1973: MacNeil and Lehrer broadcast the Senate Watergate hearings gavel to gavel and won an Emmy.
1996
First broadcastNew York7 October 1996
Fox News
30 years · the newest · news channel
Founded by
RMRupert Murdochn. 1931Media businessman; created the channelPolitical ties: According to The New York Times, cited in the source, Ronald Reagan's campaign credited Murdoch and his New York Post with its win in New York in the 1980 presidential election.
RARoger Ailes1940–2017Television producer; founding chief executive (1996–2016)Political ties: He was a media consultant for Republican presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush, and for Rudy Giuliani's 1989 New York mayoral campaign.
In the first broadcast
It went on air on 7 October 1996 to 17 million cable subscribers. To get onto cable systems, Murdoch offered up to $11 per subscriber.
Did you know…
It was not Murdoch's first news channel: in 1989 his group's BSkyB launched Sky News, Europe's first 24-hour news channel.
The facts come from the Wikipedia pages listed on each card (consulted on 15 November 2026). We show who founded each newspaper, not what we think of it. Found a mistake? "Political ties" lists only offices, memberships and campaigns documented in the source; it is not an assessment of each newspaper's editorial line today. Write to us. Portraits come from Wikimedia Commons, with author and licence checked; in the circles the background was removed and painted in one of the site's colours. Image credits.