New York Times, the

The New York Times is the leading U.S. national newspaper and is based in New York City with 16 regional, 11 national, and 26 foreign bureaus. In early 2008, the paper had 1,332 newsroom employees, more than during any other point in its history and more than any other American newspaper. However, due to industry-wide financial losses, in 2008 the publisher decided to reduce 100 newsroom staff positions. The Times has distribution outlets throughout the world, with home delivery available for select U.S. cities. In 2007, its 12-month average circulation was 1,066,600 on weekdays and 1,529,700 on Sundays. The Times publishes in several formats: the standard print edition; electronic edition; Times Reader edition, a software program enabling users to download [Page 1020]the paper and read it in a paginated version on or offline for a monthly subscription fee; and Nytimes. com edition, the online version of the paper based on a scrolling format and available without a subscription.

The New York Times is widely recognized as the country's “newspaper of record,” meaning it is touted as the preeminent and most authoritative news source documenting current events. The Times first used the title to describe itself in 1927. The top of the paper carries the motto: “All the news that's fit to print,” first used in 1896 and a permanent front-page feature a year later. The Times serves as an agenda setter for other newspapers and electronic media, which look to the Times to develop stories ideas and find leads. The New York Times ranks first among newspapers in terms of the number of Pulitzer prizes awarded. The New York Times Company received 120 Pulitzer Prizes, 96 of which were awarded to The New York Times, the rest awarded to other publications owned by the company. The paper was dubbed the “Grey Lady” early on because of its heavy text orientation. In 1997, it made extensive changes including the addition of color to advertisements and photographs in its daily editions, and the daily inclusion of separate sports and culture and entertainment sections. The first online addition appeared in 1995.

The New York Times is the chief and best known product of The New York Times Media Group, owned by the New York Times Company. In 2007, annual revenues for the company totaled $3.2 billion. The firm is divided into four business units. In addition to The New York Times, the New York Times Media Group includes International Herald Tribune (Paris), radio station WQXR-FM (New York), http://NYTimes.com, and Baseline Studio Systems, a leading database of corporate television and film information available by subscription. The New England Media Group includes The Boston Globe, Telegram & Gazette (Worcester, MA), and http://Boston.com. The Regional Media Group includes fifteen dailies, including The Gainesville Sun (Gainesville, Florida) and The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, California). The About Group includes over 50 websites, including http://About.com, an online resource providing expert information, advice, and tutorials on a wide variety of topics.