Front page of the very first edition of The Globe published March 5, 1844.The Globe and Mail
Today, The Globe and Mail is honoured to celebrate its 180th birthday.
George Brown, the founder of The Globe, had always envisioned a national audience for the paper. Using a hand press back in 1844, he printed out 200 copies of the paper a week and distributed it locally. Then, with the invention of the telegraph, speed and distance were conquered and his ambition of reaching Canadians everywhere was realized.
Today, The Globe reaches more than seven million readers each month across multiple platforms, including print, desktop, smartphone, Apple News+, events, podcasts and social-media platforms.
The Globe’s mission is the same today as it was at its inception: to highlight the issues and events that intersect with the life of the country and influence its course. We are driven by a common cause: to relentlessly pursue the truth and promote the exchange of ideas that is central to a fair and just society.
Most vital in this pursuit has always been our journalism, which truly sets us apart. We have been rewarded with more National Newspaper and Michener awards than any other news brand in the country. It’s not even close. We have been the authors of change in Canada since our inception.
From the earliest days uncovering abuse at the Kingston Penitentiary, to more recent reporting on issues from the sponsorship scandal to probing the struggle of Thalidomide survivors. We have exposed underreporting of sexual assaults by police; we broke the Hockey Canada secret funds story, Chinese interference in Canadian elections and much more. Our work continues to make our country stronger and has allowed our readers to be more informed and knowledgeable about the world around them.
Journalism is fuelled by a commitment to curiosity, a fidelity to the facts and a determination to discover the unknown. We will continue to uphold these principles daily.
To quote one of our own, John Ibbitson: “The Globe at its heart is a contract between readers and journalists built on trust.”
That relationship has helped us thrive.
Thank you all for taking that journey with us.
Andrew Saunders
President and CEO
The Globe and Mail