While today’s Guardian might look and feel different to the Manchester Guardian founded in 1821 by the cotton merchant John Edward Taylor (more colour, less time spent folding oversized pages to a comfortable reading position), it is essentially the same product: a paper that champions fundamental causes of national or international significance and enforces the principles of liberty. My first encounter with the Guardian was when I was an undergraduate in Birmingham and, since then, I have considered myself a proud “guardian of the Guardian” – along with so many others who contribute voluntarily to help sustain its quality journalism.
From the work of CP Scott, who radically transformed the newspaper’s editorial stance, to its reporting that shook the foundations of politics and international relations (think Edward Snowden and WikiLeaks), the Guardian is one of the last bastions of quality journalism with editorial independence.
Combined with the incredible success of its online operations, and resilience as a printed product in the wider technological landscape, here’s to another 200 years of Guardian journalism shaping our thinking, ensuring accountability and influencing the world.
Dean J Hill
MSc student, University of Portsmouth
