Reuter, Paul

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[[Category:Media Professionals]]
 
[[Category:Media Professionals]]
 
 
[[Image:Paul Julius Reuter 1869.jpg|thumb|right|Paul Reuter  aged 53 years (1869) by [[Rudolf Lehmann]]]]
 
[[Image:Paul Julius Reuter 1869.jpg|thumb|right|Paul Reuter  aged 53 years (1869) by [[Rudolf Lehmann]]]]
  
'''Paul Julius Baron von Reuter''' (July 21, 1816 - February 25, 1899) was a [[Germany|German]]-born [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|British]] [[entrepreneur]] and media owner, the founder of [[Reuters]] [[news agency]].
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'''Paul Julius Baron von Reuter''' (July 21, 1816 - February 25, 1899) was a [[Germany|German]]-born [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|British]] [[entrepreneur]] and media owner, the founder of [[Reuters]] [[news agency]]. Born into a [[Jewish]] family as Israel Beer Josaphat, he changed his name when he moved to England and converted to [[Christianity]], being [[baptism|baptized]] Paul Julius Reuter. For his achievements he received the rank of [[baron]], after which he became known as Paul Julius von Reuter or Paul Julius de Reuter. Innovative and insightful regarding the developing field of [[communication]] and the [[mass media]], Reuter worked hard to develop his company. Early on he recognized the need to bring the news as quickly as possible to the public, using [[carrier pigeon]]s to bridge a gap in [[telegraph]] lines, and making use of underwater telegraph lines as soon as they were installed.
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An innovator in the field, he still recognized the need to cooperate with the other European agencies, coming to agreements with the [[France|French]] [[Agence Havas]] founded by [[Charles-Louis Havas]] and later known as [[Agence France-Presse]] (AFP) and [[Bernhard Wolff]]'s [[Wolffs Telegraphisches Bureau]] in [[Germany]], to divide the territories fairly. Reuter set a standard for timely and concise news reporting that guided his agency for over a century after his death and influenced news reporting throughout the world.  
  
 
==Life==
 
==Life==
'''Paul Julius Reuter''' was born on July 21, 1816 in [[Kassel]], [[Germany]] to a [[Jewish]] family, his father being a [[rabbi]]. His birthname was '''Israel Beer Josaphat'''.
+
'''Paul Julius Reuter''' was born on July 21, 1816, in [[Kassel]], [[Germany]] to a [[Jewish]] family, his father being a [[rabbi]]. They named him '''Israel Beer Josaphat.'''
  
The young Josaphat first worked in his uncle's [[bank]] in [[Göttingen]]. There, he met [[Carl Friedrich Gauss]], the [[physics|physicist]] who pioneered the application of mathematical theory to [[electricity]] and [[magnetism]]. At that time, Gauss was experimenting with the [[transmission (telecommunications)|transmission]] of electrical signals via wire, which stimulated Josaphat's interest in [[telegraphy]].
+
The young Josaphat first worked at his uncle's [[bank]] in [[Göttingen]]. There he met [[Carl Friedrich Gauss]], the [[mathematics|mathematician]] and [[physics|physicist]] who conducted pioneering research in [[electricity]] and [[magnetism]]. At that time, Gauss was experimenting with the [[transmission (telecommunications)|transmission]] of electrical signals via wire, building the first electrical [[telegraph]] in 1833.  
  
On October 29, 1845, he moved to [[London]] calling himself '''Joseph Josaphat'''. He quickly converted to [[Christianity]] and on November 16 was [[baptism|baptized]] Paul Julius Reuter. One week later, on November 23, he married Ida Maria Elizabeth Clementine Magnus.<ref name=Shrivastava> K. M. Shrivastava, ''News Agencies: From Pigeon to Internet'' (New Dawn Press, 2007, ISBN 1932705678)</ref> Their children included a son, Herbert, who took over his father's [[news agency]] on his retirement but later committed [[suicide]], shooting himself on April 18, 1915.<ref name= Shrivastava/> Their daughter, Clementine Maria, married Count Otto Stenbock, and after his death, Sir [[Herbert Chermside]], a British military officer and governor of [[Queensland]], [[Australia]].<ref>Paul D. Wilson, [http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A070640b.htm Chermside, Sir Herbert Charles (1850 - 1929)] ''Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 7'' 631-632 (Melbourne University Press, 1979). Retrieved August 26, 2008.</ref>  
+
On October 29, 1845, he moved to [[London]], calling himself '''Joseph Josaphat.''' He quickly converted to [[Christianity]] and on November 16 was [[baptism|baptized]] Paul Julius Reuter. One week later, on November 23, he married Ida Maria Elizabeth Clementine Magnus.<ref name=Shrivastava> K. M. Shrivastava, ''News Agencies: From Pigeon to Internet'' (New Dawn Press, 2007, ISBN 1932705678).</ref> Their children included a son, Herbert, who took over his father's [[news agency]] on his retirement but later committed [[suicide]], shooting himself on April 18, 1915.<ref name= Shrivastava/> Their daughter, Clementine Maria, married Count Otto Stenbock, and after his death, Sir [[Herbert Chermside]], a British military officer and governor of [[Queensland]], [[Australia]].<ref>Paul D. Wilson, [http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A070640b.htm Chermside, Sir Herbert Charles (1850-1929),] ''Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 7'' 631-632 (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1979). Retrieved August 26, 2008.</ref>  
  
Reuter returned to Germany, where in 1847 he became a partner in a bookstore and publishing company, Reuter & Stargardt, in [[Berlin]]. After publishing political [[pamphlet]]s, with the failed [[Revolutions of 1848|Revolution of 1848]], he fled from Germany to [[Paris]]. There he tried to establish a news agency but it failed in a few months. He then worked there in [[Charles-Louis Havas]]' news agency, the future [[Agence France Presse]].
+
Reuter returned to Germany, this time to [[Berlin]], where in 1847 he became a partner in a bookstore and publishing company, Reuter & Stargardt. Known for publishing political [[pamphlet]]s, when the [[Revolutions of 1848|Revolution of 1848]] failed, he fled Germany for [[Paris]]. There, he tried to establish a news agency but it failed in a few months. He then worked in [[Charles-Louis Havas]]' [[news agency]], the future [[Agence France-Presse]].
  
 
By 1850, Reuter was back in Germany where he founded what became the world-renowned financial news agency bearing his name, [[Reuters]]. In 1851, he moved back to London and set up an office near the [[London Stock Exchange]].  
 
By 1850, Reuter was back in Germany where he founded what became the world-renowned financial news agency bearing his name, [[Reuters]]. In 1851, he moved back to London and set up an office near the [[London Stock Exchange]].  
  
 
[[Image:800px-PJReuterStatue20040921 CopyrightKaihsuTai-crop.jpg|thumb|left|<small>Statue of Paul Reuter in the City of London</small>]]
 
[[Image:800px-PJReuterStatue20040921 CopyrightKaihsuTai-crop.jpg|thumb|left|<small>Statue of Paul Reuter in the City of London</small>]]
On March 17, 1857, Reuter was naturalized as a British subject. On September 7, 1871, the [[Ernst II of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha|Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha]] conferred the rank of [[baron]] on him, whereafter he became known as Paul Julius von Reuter or Paul Julius de Reuter. Later, he received the same rank in England.
+
On March 17, 1857, Reuter was naturalized as a British subject. On September 7, 1871, the [[Ernst II of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha|Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha]] conferred on him the rank of [[baron]], after which he became known as Paul Julius von Reuter or Paul Julius de Reuter. Later, he received the same rank in England.
  
Reuter retired from the news agency in 1878, handing control over to his son, Herbert, although he continued to be involved for many years. He moved to [[Nice]], [[France]], preferring the warmer climate, and died there in "Villa Reuter." His body was taken back to London and buried in the family vault at [[West Norwood Cemetery]].
+
Reuter retired from the news agency in 1878, handing control over to his son, Herbert, although he continued to be involved for many years. He moved to [[Nice]], [[France]], preferring the warmer climate, and died at his home, "Villa Reuter." His body was taken back to London and buried in the family vault at [[West Norwood Cemetery]].
  
 
==Work==
 
==Work==
Following his introduction to [[telegraphy]] through his acquaintance with [[Carl Friedrich Gauss]], Reuter embarked on a career in the [[mass media|media]]. Despite some initial failures, his [[entrepreneur|entrepreurial]] spirit led him to success when he founded the [[news agency]] that became one of the major such agencies in the world, [[Reuters]].
+
Following his introduction to [[telegraphy]] through his acquaintance with [[Carl Friedrich Gauss]], Reuter embarked on a career in the [[mass media|media]]. Despite some initial failures, his [[entrepreneur|entrepreneurial]] spirit led him to success when he founded the [[news agency]] that became one of the major such agencies in the world, [[Reuters]].
  
 
[[image:reuters.london.arp.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Reuters Data Centre, London.]]
 
[[image:reuters.london.arp.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Reuters Data Centre, London.]]
After fleeing from Germany to Paris in 1848, Reuter worked there in [[Charles-Louis Havas]]' news agency, the future [[Agence France Presse]]. Reuter noticed that with the [[electricity|electric]] [[telegraph]] news no longer required days or weeks to travel long distances. In 1850, the 34-year-old Reuter was based in [[Aachen]], [[Germany]], close to the [[Netherlands|Dutch]] and [[Belgium|Belgian]] border, and began using the newly opened Berlin–Aachen telegraph line to send news to [[Berlin]]. However, there was a 76-mile gap in the line between Aachen and [[Brussels]]. Reuter spotted the opportunity to speed up news between Brussels and Berlin and founded the Reuters News Agency, which transferring messages between Brussels and Aachen using [[carrier pigeon]]s. The carrier pigeons were much faster than the post train, giving Reuter faster access to stock news from the Paris [[stock exchange]]. In 1851, the carrier pigeons were superseded by a direct telegraph link.<ref>Tom Standage, ''The Victorian Internet'' (Walker & Company, 2007, ISBN 0802716040)</ref>  
+
After fleeing from Germany to Paris in 1848, Reuter worked in [[Charles-Louis Havas]]' news agency, the future [[Agence France Presse]]. In 1850, the 34-year-old Reuter was based in [[Aachen]], [[Germany]], close to the [[Netherlands|Dutch]] and [[Belgium|Belgian]] border, and began using the newly opened Berlin–Aachen telegraph line to send news to [[Berlin]]. Reuter noticed that with the [[electricity|electric]] [[telegraph]] news no longer required days or weeks to travel long distances. However, there was a 76-mile gap in the line between Aachen and [[Brussels]]. Reuter spotted the opportunity to speed the transmission of news between Brussels and Berlin, founding the Reuters News Agency, which transferred messages between Brussels and Aachen using [[carrier pigeon]]s. The carrier pigeons were much faster than the post train, giving Reuter quicker access to stock news from the Paris [[stock exchange]]. In 1851, the carrier pigeons were superseded by a direct telegraph link.<ref>Tom Standage, ''The Victorian Internet'' (Walker & Company, 2007, ISBN 0802716040).</ref>  
  
In 1851, Reuter moved back to [[London]] and set up his "Submarine Telegraph" office in October, 1851 just before the opening of the underwater telegraph cable under the [[English Channel]]. He agreed to a contract with the [[London Stock Exchange]] to provide stock prices from the continental exchanges in return for access to the London prices, which he supplied to [[Paris]] brokers. From that foundation Reuter obtained subscriptions from several British [[newspaper]]s, including ''[[The Times]]''.  
+
In 1851, Reuter moved back to [[London]] and set up his "Submarine Telegraph" office in October, anticipating the opening of the underwater telegraph cable under the [[English Channel]] the following month. He negotiated a contract with the [[London Stock Exchange]] to provide stock prices from the continental exchanges in return for access to the London prices, which he supplied to [[Paris]] brokers. From that foundation, Reuter obtained subscriptions from several British [[newspaper]]s, including ''[[The Times]]''.  
  
For over a century, Reuters became the news agency of the [[British Empire]], providing in the most timely fashion "truth in news."<ref name=read>Donald Read, ''The Power of News: The History of Reuters 1849-1989'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1992, ISBN 0198217765)</ref> In 1861, the British Prime Minister [[Lord Palmerston]] presented Reuter at the court of [[Queen Victoria]]. Reuters offices opened all over Europe, following Reuter's motto "Follow the cable."<ref>[http://www.thomsonreuters.com/about/company_history/#1890_-_1799 Company History] Thomson Reuters. Retrieved August 26, 2008.</ref>
+
For over a century, Reuters served as the news agency of the [[British Empire]], providing in the most timely fashion "truth in news."<ref name=read>Donald Read, ''The Power of News: The History of Reuters 1849-1989'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1992, ISBN 0198217765).</ref> In 1861, the British Prime Minister [[Lord Palmerston]] presented Reuter at the court of [[Queen Victoria]]. Reuters offices opened all over Europe, following Reuter's motto "Follow the cable."<ref>Thomson Reuters, [http://www.thomsonreuters.com/about/company_history/#1890_-_1799 Company History.] Retrieved August 26, 2008.</ref>
 
   
 
   
Reuter's agency built a reputation in [[Europe]] for being the first to report scoops from abroad, such as the news of [[Abraham Lincoln]]’s assassination in 1865. The transatlantic cable opened in 1866 and the continued expansion of undersea cables allowed news to be communicated from around the world even more quickly. Reuter opened offices beyond Europe, starting with [[Egypt]] and reaching the [[Far East]] and later [[South America]]. As global [[communication]] developed, Reuter made an agreement with the rival agencies, Havas in France and Wolff in Germany, which divided territories of the world among the three agencies.  
+
Reuter's agency built a reputation in [[Europe]] for being the first to report scoops from abroad, such as the news of [[Abraham Lincoln]]’s assassination in 1865. The transatlantic cable opened in 1866, and the continued expansion of undersea cables allowed news to be communicated from around the world even more quickly. Reuter opened offices beyond Europe, starting with [[Egypt]] and reaching the [[Far East]] and later [[South America]]. As global [[communication]] developed, Reuter made an agreement with rivals Havas in France and [[Bernhard Wolff|Wolff]] in Germany, which divided the territories of the world among the three agencies.  
  
In 1865, Reuter's private firm was restructured and became a limited company called Reuter's Telegram Company. In 1878, Reuter retired, handing control of the company over to his son Herbert. However, he remained active in the agency. In 1883, Reuter wrote a memo that guided Reuters correspondents for over a century, until Reuters merged with the Thomson Group in 2008. In this memo, which set the standard for concise and timely reporting, Reuter requested them to report on:  
+
In 1865, Reuter's private firm was restructured and became a limited company called Reuter's Telegram Company. In 1878, Reuter retired, handing control of the company over to his son, Herbert. However, he remained active in the agency. In 1883, Reuter wrote a memo that guided Reuters correspondents for over a century, until Reuters merged with the Thomson Group in 2008. In this memo, which set the standard for concise and timely news reporting, Reuter requested them to report on:  
<blockquote>fires, explosions, floods, inundations, railway accidents, destructive storms, earthquakes, shipwrecks attended with loss of life, accidents to war vessels and to mail steamers, street riots of a grave character, disturbances arising from strikes, duels between, and suicides of persons of note, social or political, and murders of a sensational or atrocious character. It is requested that the bare facts be first telegraphed with the utmost promptitude, and as soon as possible afterwards a descriptive account, proportionate to the gravity of the incident. Care should, of course, be taken to follow the matter up.<ref>James Harding, [http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/columnists/article1796040.ece Has Reuters chosen the right way ahead?] ''The Times'', May 16, 2007. Retrieved September 2, 2008.</ref></blockquote>
+
<blockquote>fires, explosions, floods, inundations, railway accidents, destructive storms, earthquakes, shipwrecks attended with loss of life, accidents to war vessels and to mail steamers, street riots of a grave character, disturbances arising from strikes, duels between, and suicides of persons of note, social or political, and murders of a sensational or atrocious character. It is requested that the bare facts be first telegraphed with the utmost promptitude, and as soon as possible afterwards a descriptive account, proportionate to the gravity of the incident. Care should, of course, be taken to follow the matter up.<ref>James Harding, [http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/columnists/article1796040.ece Has Reuters chosen the right way ahead?] ''The Times,'' May 16, 2007. Retrieved September 2, 2008.</ref></blockquote>
  
 
==Legacy==
 
==Legacy==
The [[Reuters]] company continued to build on the foundation established by Paul Julius Reuter. It became one of the largest [[news agency|news agencies]] in the world along with the [[Associated Press|AP]], [[Agence France-Presse]], and [[United Press International|UPI]]. Reuters has supplies images, video, and text to a large number of news outlets around the world. Their clients include [[newspaper]]s, [[television]] stations, [[radio]] stations, [[corporation]]s, and bloggers. Their material is used extensively around the world by both major and minor news outlets through an extensive electronic network, which Reuters pioneered.
+
The [[Reuters]] company continued to build on the foundation established by Paul Julius Reuter. It became one of the largest [[news agency|news agencies]] in the world along with the [[Associated Press]], [[Agence France-Presse]], and [[United Press International]]. Reuters has supplied images, video, and text to a large number of news outlets around the world, including [[newspaper]]s, [[television]] stations, [[radio]] stations, [[corporation]]s, and bloggers. Their material is used extensively around the world by both major and minor news outlets through an extensive electronic network, which Reuters pioneered.
  
 
Reuters has served as a significant force in the development of world [[communication]], both in terms of the physical aspects as pioneered by Reuter's innovative use of developing [[technology]] and in the standards of news reporting he established back in 1883.
 
Reuters has served as a significant force in the development of world [[communication]], both in terms of the physical aspects as pioneered by Reuter's innovative use of developing [[technology]] and in the standards of news reporting he established back in 1883.
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==References==
 
==References==
* Shrivastava, K. M. ''News Agencies: From Pigeon to Internet''. New Dawn Press, 2007. ISBN 1932705678
+
* Read, Donald. ''The Power of News: The History of Reuters 1849-1989''. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1992. ISBN 0198217765.
* Read, Donald. ''The Power of News: The History of Reuters 1849-1989.'' Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1992. ISBN 0198217765
+
* Read, Donald. ''Power of News: The History of Reuters''. Diane Pub Co, 1999. ISBN 0756762219.
* Read, Donald. ''Power of News: The History of Reuters''. Diane Pub Co, 2nd edition, 1999. ISBN 0756762219
+
* Shrivastava, K. M. ''News Agencies: From Pigeon to Internet''. New Dawn Press, 2007. ISBN 1932705678.
* Standage, Tom. ''The Victorian Internet: The Remarkable Story of the Telegraph and the Nineteenth Century's On-line Pioneers''. Walker & Company, 2007. ISBN 0802716040
+
* Standage, Tom. ''The Victorian Internet: The Remarkable Story of the Telegraph and the Nineteenth Century's On-line Pioneers''. Walker & Company, 2007. ISBN 0802716040.
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
 +
All links retrieved November 22, 2022.
 
* [http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3404707889.html Paul Julius Reuter] ''Encyclopedia of World Biography''. Gale Group, 2004.
 
* [http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3404707889.html Paul Julius Reuter] ''Encyclopedia of World Biography''. Gale Group, 2004.
 
* [http://www.thomsonreuters.com/about/company_history/#1890_-_1799 Company History] Thomson Reuters
 
* [http://www.thomsonreuters.com/about/company_history/#1890_-_1799 Company History] Thomson Reuters
* [http://www.ketupa.net/reuters.htm Reuters] ketupa.net media profiles
+
 
 
{{Credits|Paul_Reuter|231654771|}}
 
{{Credits|Paul_Reuter|231654771|}}

Latest revision as of 01:30, 23 November 2022

Paul Reuter aged 53 years (1869) by Rudolf Lehmann

Paul Julius Baron von Reuter (July 21, 1816 - February 25, 1899) was a German-born British entrepreneur and media owner, the founder of Reuters news agency. Born into a Jewish family as Israel Beer Josaphat, he changed his name when he moved to England and converted to Christianity, being baptized Paul Julius Reuter. For his achievements he received the rank of baron, after which he became known as Paul Julius von Reuter or Paul Julius de Reuter. Innovative and insightful regarding the developing field of communication and the mass media, Reuter worked hard to develop his company. Early on he recognized the need to bring the news as quickly as possible to the public, using carrier pigeons to bridge a gap in telegraph lines, and making use of underwater telegraph lines as soon as they were installed.

An innovator in the field, he still recognized the need to cooperate with the other European agencies, coming to agreements with the French Agence Havas founded by Charles-Louis Havas and later known as Agence France-Presse (AFP) and Bernhard Wolff's Wolffs Telegraphisches Bureau in Germany, to divide the territories fairly. Reuter set a standard for timely and concise news reporting that guided his agency for over a century after his death and influenced news reporting throughout the world.

Life

Paul Julius Reuter was born on July 21, 1816, in Kassel, Germany to a Jewish family, his father being a rabbi. They named him Israel Beer Josaphat.

The young Josaphat first worked at his uncle's bank in Göttingen. There he met Carl Friedrich Gauss, the mathematician and physicist who conducted pioneering research in electricity and magnetism. At that time, Gauss was experimenting with the transmission of electrical signals via wire, building the first electrical telegraph in 1833.

On October 29, 1845, he moved to London, calling himself Joseph Josaphat. He quickly converted to Christianity and on November 16 was baptized Paul Julius Reuter. One week later, on November 23, he married Ida Maria Elizabeth Clementine Magnus.[1] Their children included a son, Herbert, who took over his father's news agency on his retirement but later committed suicide, shooting himself on April 18, 1915.[1] Their daughter, Clementine Maria, married Count Otto Stenbock, and after his death, Sir Herbert Chermside, a British military officer and governor of Queensland, Australia.[2]

Reuter returned to Germany, this time to Berlin, where in 1847 he became a partner in a bookstore and publishing company, Reuter & Stargardt. Known for publishing political pamphlets, when the Revolution of 1848 failed, he fled Germany for Paris. There, he tried to establish a news agency but it failed in a few months. He then worked in Charles-Louis Havas' news agency, the future Agence France-Presse.

By 1850, Reuter was back in Germany where he founded what became the world-renowned financial news agency bearing his name, Reuters. In 1851, he moved back to London and set up an office near the London Stock Exchange.

Statue of Paul Reuter in the City of London

On March 17, 1857, Reuter was naturalized as a British subject. On September 7, 1871, the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha conferred on him the rank of baron, after which he became known as Paul Julius von Reuter or Paul Julius de Reuter. Later, he received the same rank in England.

Reuter retired from the news agency in 1878, handing control over to his son, Herbert, although he continued to be involved for many years. He moved to Nice, France, preferring the warmer climate, and died at his home, "Villa Reuter." His body was taken back to London and buried in the family vault at West Norwood Cemetery.

Work

Following his introduction to telegraphy through his acquaintance with Carl Friedrich Gauss, Reuter embarked on a career in the media. Despite some initial failures, his entrepreneurial spirit led him to success when he founded the news agency that became one of the major such agencies in the world, Reuters.

Reuters Data Centre, London.

After fleeing from Germany to Paris in 1848, Reuter worked in Charles-Louis Havas' news agency, the future Agence France Presse. In 1850, the 34-year-old Reuter was based in Aachen, Germany, close to the Dutch and Belgian border, and began using the newly opened Berlin–Aachen telegraph line to send news to Berlin. Reuter noticed that with the electric telegraph news no longer required days or weeks to travel long distances. However, there was a 76-mile gap in the line between Aachen and Brussels. Reuter spotted the opportunity to speed the transmission of news between Brussels and Berlin, founding the Reuters News Agency, which transferred messages between Brussels and Aachen using carrier pigeons. The carrier pigeons were much faster than the post train, giving Reuter quicker access to stock news from the Paris stock exchange. In 1851, the carrier pigeons were superseded by a direct telegraph link.[3]

In 1851, Reuter moved back to London and set up his "Submarine Telegraph" office in October, anticipating the opening of the underwater telegraph cable under the English Channel the following month. He negotiated a contract with the London Stock Exchange to provide stock prices from the continental exchanges in return for access to the London prices, which he supplied to Paris brokers. From that foundation, Reuter obtained subscriptions from several British newspapers, including The Times.

For over a century, Reuters served as the news agency of the British Empire, providing in the most timely fashion "truth in news."[4] In 1861, the British Prime Minister Lord Palmerston presented Reuter at the court of Queen Victoria. Reuters offices opened all over Europe, following Reuter's motto "Follow the cable."[5]

Reuter's agency built a reputation in Europe for being the first to report scoops from abroad, such as the news of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination in 1865. The transatlantic cable opened in 1866, and the continued expansion of undersea cables allowed news to be communicated from around the world even more quickly. Reuter opened offices beyond Europe, starting with Egypt and reaching the Far East and later South America. As global communication developed, Reuter made an agreement with rivals Havas in France and Wolff in Germany, which divided the territories of the world among the three agencies.

In 1865, Reuter's private firm was restructured and became a limited company called Reuter's Telegram Company. In 1878, Reuter retired, handing control of the company over to his son, Herbert. However, he remained active in the agency. In 1883, Reuter wrote a memo that guided Reuters correspondents for over a century, until Reuters merged with the Thomson Group in 2008. In this memo, which set the standard for concise and timely news reporting, Reuter requested them to report on:

fires, explosions, floods, inundations, railway accidents, destructive storms, earthquakes, shipwrecks attended with loss of life, accidents to war vessels and to mail steamers, street riots of a grave character, disturbances arising from strikes, duels between, and suicides of persons of note, social or political, and murders of a sensational or atrocious character. It is requested that the bare facts be first telegraphed with the utmost promptitude, and as soon as possible afterwards a descriptive account, proportionate to the gravity of the incident. Care should, of course, be taken to follow the matter up.[6]

Legacy

The Reuters company continued to build on the foundation established by Paul Julius Reuter. It became one of the largest news agencies in the world along with the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, and United Press International. Reuters has supplied images, video, and text to a large number of news outlets around the world, including newspapers, television stations, radio stations, corporations, and bloggers. Their material is used extensively around the world by both major and minor news outlets through an extensive electronic network, which Reuters pioneered.

Reuters has served as a significant force in the development of world communication, both in terms of the physical aspects as pioneered by Reuter's innovative use of developing technology and in the standards of news reporting he established back in 1883.

Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 K. M. Shrivastava, News Agencies: From Pigeon to Internet (New Dawn Press, 2007, ISBN 1932705678).
  2. Paul D. Wilson, Chermside, Sir Herbert Charles (1850-1929), Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 7 631-632 (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1979). Retrieved August 26, 2008.
  3. Tom Standage, The Victorian Internet (Walker & Company, 2007, ISBN 0802716040).
  4. Donald Read, The Power of News: The History of Reuters 1849-1989 (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1992, ISBN 0198217765).
  5. Thomson Reuters, Company History. Retrieved August 26, 2008.
  6. James Harding, Has Reuters chosen the right way ahead? The Times, May 16, 2007. Retrieved September 2, 2008.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Read, Donald. The Power of News: The History of Reuters 1849-1989. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1992. ISBN 0198217765.
  • Read, Donald. Power of News: The History of Reuters. Diane Pub Co, 1999. ISBN 0756762219.
  • Shrivastava, K. M. News Agencies: From Pigeon to Internet. New Dawn Press, 2007. ISBN 1932705678.
  • Standage, Tom. The Victorian Internet: The Remarkable Story of the Telegraph and the Nineteenth Century's On-line Pioneers. Walker & Company, 2007. ISBN 0802716040.

External links

All links retrieved November 22, 2022.

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