Today (UK newspaper)

Infobox Newspaper
name =


type = Daily newspaper
format = Tabloid
foundation = 4 March 1986
ceased publication = 17 November 1995
owners = Eddy Shah/Lonrho/News International
political =
headquarters = Wapping, London
editor =
website = '

"Today" was a national newspaper in the United Kingdom, which existed for less than a decade (1986-95).

History

Using the American newspaper USA Today as its inspiration, "Today" was launched on Tuesday, 4 March, 1986 and was a middle-market tabloid that pioneered the use of computer photosetting and full-colour offset printing at a time when British national newspapers were still using Linotype machines and letterpress. The colour was initially crude, being produced on equipment which had no facility for colour proofing, so the first view of the colour was on the finished product. However, it can be seen as the trigger which forced the eventual conversion of all UK national newspapers to electronic production and colour printing.

Launched by regional newspaper entrepreneur Eddy Shah, it was bought by Tiny Rowland's Lonrho within four months. (Shah would launch the short-lived, unsuccessful national tabloid "The Post" in 1988). For some years Alastair Campbell was its news editor.

The newspaper began a sponsorship of the English Football League at the start of 1986-87, but withdrew its backing after just one season."Today" was subsequently sold to Rupert Murdoch's News International in 1987.

"Today" ceased publishing on Friday, 17 November, 1995, making it the first long-running national newspaper title to fail since the "Daily Sketch" in 1971. The last edition's headline was "Goodbye. It's been great to know you", the editorial saying "... Now we are forced into silence by the granite and unforgiving face of the balance sheet...". Its offices are now used by one of News International's other papers, "The Sun".

Richard Stott was the editor when "Today" ceased publication; he died in July 2007. Other journalists who worked on the paper at its close in 1995 included Peter Prendergast (City Editor), Anne Robinson (columnist), David McMaster (managing editor).

Controversies

One of the newspaper's early controversial front page photographs was in 1988, when it portrayed an image of politician Nigel Lawson as a terminator, accompanied by the headline "Nigel the Great Tax Terminator".

In 1995, the paper's owners decided to cease production. This was after years of decline and shortly after it became infamous for its front page on the Oklahoma City bombing: "Today" printed a photograph of a fireman carrying out the body of a young girl accompanied by the block headline "IN THE NAME OF ALLAH", which proved highly embarrassing when it soon became clear the bombing had nothing to do with Muslim militants but rather with American extremists.Fact|date=May 2008

In 1996, Hugh Grant won substantial damages from News (UK) Ltd over what his lawyers called a "highly defamatory" article published in January of 1995 in "Today". The newspaper had falsely claimed that Grant verbally abused a young extra with a "foul-mouthed tongue lashing" on the set of "The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain". [cite news |url= |title=Actor Hugh wins substantial libel award |last=Howard |first=Stephen |publisher=Press Association |date=1996-06-04 |accessdate=2007-02-17]

References