Ownership and Funding
The Thursday Times is an independent newspaper. This page says who owns it, who runs it and where its money comes from, so that readers can judge for themselves whether anyone stands behind what we report.
Who owns the paper
The Thursday Times is published by Thursday Media International, which is privately owned. No government, political party or foreign state owns any part of it, or has any say in how it is run.
Who runs it
The editor is Raza Butt. Editorial decisions are made by the editor and the desks, and by no one else.
The paper is reported and written by a team of reporters and journalists who come to the work from academia, diplomacy, politics and other fields. Each works on their own accord: no one outside the paper assigns their stories or approves what they write. Every writer is listed by name, with their stories, on Our writers.
Where our money comes from
The Thursday Times is paid for privately, by the people behind it. We take no money from any government, political party or foreign state, and we accept no grant or sponsorship that comes with a condition on what we cover.
The paper also earns money from:
- advertising, which is always labelled as an advertisement, as sponsored, or as paid for by the advertiser;
- Thursday Studios, our agency, whose work for clients is kept apart from our reporting;
- paid plans for Thursday AI, for candidates, desks and institutions; and
- once we open it, voluntary support from readers.
What money cannot buy
No owner, advertiser, client, sponsor or supporter decides what we report or how. Paying the paper buys no say over our coverage, no early sight of a story and no right to have one changed or removed. Our Editorial Policy sets out how we keep news, opinion and advertising apart.
If this changes
If our ownership or funding changes in a way that matters to readers, we will update this page and say what changed.
Questions about who owns or funds The Thursday Times go to pr@thursdaytimes.com.