The New York Times

U.S. center-left

Background

The Times was founded in 1851 and has been controlled by the Ochs-Sulzberger family since Adolph Ochs bought it in 1896. The company went public in 1969, but a dual-class share structure keeps editorial and corporate control with the family trust. Over the past decade it shifted from an advertising-based model to a subscription-first one, and it grew through products such as Games, Cooking, Wirecutter and The Athletic. It has won many Pulitzer Prizes. It has also faced criticism for its pre-Iraq War reporting on weapons of mass destruction, the Jayson Blair fabrication scandal, and, more recently, for its coverage choices and internal disputes over opinion pieces. Critics on the right call its news coverage biased toward liberal views, while some on the left say it is too cautious or too deferential to institutions. It publishes a separate opinion section with a range of voices, and its editorial board generally takes liberal positions. During Trump's second term, the Times has reported critically on administration policy. It sued the Defense Department in December 2025 over Secretary Pete Hegseth's press restrictions. A federal judge ruled in its favor in March 2026, and it filed a second suit in May 2026 over escort requirements.

Sources

1. New York Times Co. proxy statement (DEF 14A), 2026
2. Who Owns the New York Times? (FourWeekMBA)
3. CBS News: New York Times sues Pentagon a second time
4. PBS NewsHour: Judge sides with New York Times in challenge to Pentagon policy
5. Al Jazeera: New York Times sues Pentagon over rules limiting access for media

Profile compiled 2026-10-20; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.

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