The Times
The Times
In March, The Times head of investigations Paul Morgan-Bentley exposed the shocking state of security at Bedford Prison, one of Britain’s most dangerous, after securing a job as a prison contractor escort. Inside, he interacted with prisoners without security searches, and was told by poorly-trained staff that there was ‘very rarely’ proper vetting to check for drugs or weapons. His findings prompted an urgent investigation by the Ministry of Justice. His undercover video became one of the most-watched in the history of The Times and Sunday Times.
Billy Kenber has spent years exposing scandals and corruption. That made his exclusive story about the Conservative MP Mark Menzies no less remarkable. ‘Tory MP demanded campaign cash to pay ‘bad people’’ became one of the most talked-about stories of the year when Kenber revealed Menzies was under investigation over allegations that he misused campaign funds and abused his position, making a late-night phone call in which he said he had been locked up by “bad people”.
The Times remains committed to its world coverage. The US election displayed our unparalleled range of talent, not least because of the launch of the news US version of The Times website. Alongside our reporters in the States, we dispatched UK-based writers like chief reporter Fiona Hamilton. Commentators such as Gerard Baker pushed against lazy narratives, but our reporting was also prescient (note Washington bureau chief David Charter’s article in May, headlined ‘Why more and more black voters are putting their faith in Trump’.)
In Europe and the Middle East, Times correspondents have reported from the front line. Among the stunning pieces from world affairs editor Catherine Philp is her dispatch in August from inside Russia – the first by any of our journalists since the early days of the war – in which she reported on the Ukrainian counteroffensive.
Steven Swinford and his politics team have held the powerful to account. Our coverage of the general election displayed the immense breadth of our political coverage, with unmatched insight into Labour’s plans from Patrick Maguire, and the ultimate portrait of the election campaign by Ben Macintyre. The editions on the day after Rishi Sunak’s fateful decision and the day after the election itself were beautifully-designed must-reads.
The Times Magazine is packed every week with exclusive interviews, real-life stories and the columns of Caitlin Moran, Giles Coren and Melanie Reid. Throughout the week, Times 2 approaches the big stories with wit and wisdom, also generating news-making interviews.
Times Sport remains a powerhouse, combining unique talents like those of chief cricket correspondent Mike Atherton with the ever-readable Martin Samuel. During the European Championships, football supplement The Game was published on matchdays. Columnists such as Sam Warburton make The Scrum an equally unmissable supplement on international rugby days.
The Times rebuilt its home page, introducing nine new sections and rethinking how stories are told for mobile. Our aim was both to create a joyous experience for subscribers and make it easier for them to discover the topics and authors that matter to them. The Times (and the Sunday Times) now has 600,000 subscribers for digital alone, along with the highest ABC1 composition in the overall newsbrand market.
Our podcasts portfolio has grown further. We refreshed and expanded our daily news podcast, with Stories of Our Times becoming The Story. How to Win An Election has been one of the must-listens for politicos everywhere. The Royals, with Roya Nikkhah and Kate Mansey, brings the latest insight into the Royal Family to listeners, through two of Britain’s most respected commentators. Times Radio became ‘The Election Station’ for 2024. Its most recent recorded weekly reach rose to 557,000 listeners per week: up 12% year on year as Andrew Neill became our one o’clock anchor. Listening hours were also up 8% on the year. This multimedia, multi-platform approach, combined with an unchanging commitment to authoritative high-quality journalism, gives The Times content a range and depth of engagement that few news organisations can match.