Delpressaan independent magazine about the history and workings of the business press

An independent magazine about the history and workings of the business press. It is not the former website on this domain, nor the editorial office of the journal Lizing Revyu (Leasing Review) or any other publication; their materials are not reproduced here. Not investment advice.

History

History

The business press grew out of the need of merchants, bankers and industrialists to learn quickly about prices, exchange rates and company news. In the 19th century, publications appeared in London and New York that are still published today, and with them came tools now taken for granted, such as the stock index. Russia got its own business newspaper at the beginning of the 20th century, while the modern Russian business press took shape at the turn of the 1980s and 1990s. Below is a brief timeline and a few remarks on how this journey is reflected in today's news feed.

The business newspaper began as a working bulletin for a narrow circle. Today its headlines are read by anyone who opens a news feed.

— From the editors

Timeline

  1. 1843

    The Economist is founded in London.

  2. 1888

    The Financial Times begins publication in London.

  3. 1889

    The Wall Street Journal, published by Dow Jones, appears in New York.

  4. 1896

    The Dow Jones Industrial Average is published for the first time and becomes one of the best-known stock indices.

  5. 1909

    The pre-revolutionary newspaper Kommersant begins publication in Russia.

  6. 1989

    A new Kommersant appears, initially as a weekly.

  7. 1992

    Kommersant becomes a daily newspaper.

  8. 1999

    The daily business newspaper Vedomosti begins publication.

How the business press reached the news feed

The first business publications were written for people who needed information for their work: which goods had become cheaper, how exchange rates had moved, what was happening in different industries. The readership was small and demanding, so the business press grew used to accuracy, a dry style and citing its sources early on.

Over time, business publications developed tools of their own. The stock index made it possible to describe the mood of the market with a single number, and that number became a permanent fixture of the headlines. Regular company reporting gave journalists a reason to write about business according to a calendar, not just on the strength of rumours.

When news moved online, business stories ended up in the same feed as politics, sport and entertainment. A short headline about an index rising or falling is now read by people who have never opened a market report. Hence the reader's main task today: to understand what lies behind such headlines and where fact ends and interpretation begins.

  • Articles

    Magazine topics: business press history, genres, company results and indices in the news, trade journals, archives. Plus the article catalogue.

  • Events

    Which events the business press covers, how the business calendar works and how to check a news story about an event.

  • Archive

    The magazine's sections and what is known about the old materials on this domain.

Sources

  • The Economist: history of the publication
  • Financial Times: history of the publication
  • Dow Jones: history of the index
  • Encyclopaedic sources on the history of the press

Historical information is based on open official and encyclopaedic sources. Laws and publication policies may change, so always check the current versions in official sources.