The Independent

Overview

The Independent is a British online newspaper, nicknamed "the Indy," publishing national and international news, politics, culture and opinion.

History

The Independent was launched on October 7, 1986, as a broadsheet by Andreas Whittam Smith, Stephen Glover and Matthew Symonds, three former Daily Telegraph journalists. It switched to compact tabloid format in 2003 and ceased print publication after its March 26, 2016 edition, becoming online-only. Ownership passed from Independent News & Media to Russian businessman Alexander Lebedev and his son Evgeny Lebedev in 2010; in 2017, Saudi businessman Sultan Muhammad Abuljadayel acquired a substantial minority stake, a deal that drew scrutiny from press-freedom advocates over potential influence on Middle East coverage. The Independent has since expanded into licensed international editions, including Independent Arabia (2018, published by Saudi Research and Media Group) and Independent en Español (2020).

Notable works

The Independent was named National Newspaper of the Year for 2003 and has won multiple Association of Online Publishers Digital Publishing Awards in recent years, including recognition for data journalism and audience development.

Key personnel

Editor-in-Chief: Geordie Greig (since January 2023)
Chief Executive: Christian Broughton (since August 2023)

Audience

The Independent serves a global English-language digital readership, alongside licensed international editions serving Arabic- and Spanish-speaking audiences.

Location and contact info

Address
London, England
Website
https://www.independent.co.uk