The Times
The Times is a British national newspaper from London that has been published since 1785, initially under the name The Daily Universal Register. The newspaper is owned by News UK. Its Sunday sister paper is The Sunday Times.
What you can find
The Times has been closely following gender care for young people in the UK for years. The newspaper has reported on the Tavistock clinic’s Gender Identity Development Service, the closure of that service, and the Cass Review and its implications for NHS policy. The articles are accessible to subscribers only.
Why it is on this list
As a major newspaper with its own reporters, The Times is an important source for anyone who wants to follow developments in the UK. Critics accuse the newspaper of taking a one-sidedly critical tone on transgender issues. It is therefore important to distinguish between news and commentary. gendermedia.nl explains how to tell the two apart in gender-related news. See also policy by country.
History and ownership
John Walter founded the newspaper on 1 January 1785. On 1 January 1788, it was renamed The Times. The Walter family remained the owner until 1908. They were followed by Lord Northcliffe, the Astor family from 1922 to 1966, and Roy Thomson. Since 1981, the newspaper has been part of Rupert Murdoch’s media group, initially under the name News International and now as News UK, a subsidiary of News Corp. The newspaper was published in broadsheet format for 219 years before switching to the smaller compact format in 2004. The editor-in-chief is Tony Gallagher. The newspaper is considered conservative and close to the British establishment, but it supported Labour in the 2001 and 2005 elections.
Paywall and reach
The Times has been online since 1996 and introduced a paywall in 2010. The number of website visitors fell sharply afterward. In June 2025, the newspaper had 740,000 subscribers across its digital and print editions.
Criticism of its reporting
A report by Amnesty International from May 2026 states that The Times significantly strengthened the British movement against transgender rights. According to the report, transgender people themselves were rarely given a voice. On the other hand, the newspaper was among the first to report many facts about gender care in the UK, and its reviewers praised the book Time to Think, published by Swift Press.
How to use and assess this source
Pay attention to the section in which each article appears. A news report by a journalist carries different weight from an opinion column. You can read official decisions at NHS England.