Telegraph Online – Our Heritage
Founded in 1987
The first born-digital online newspaper in Britain
Telegraph Online began in 1987 as the Disability Telegraph bulletin board system (BBS), delivering news and information to Braille machines and speech synthesisers. This pioneering platform predates the mainstream internet and established Telegraph Online as one of the earliest digital publishers in Britain.
By 1994, Telegraph Online had evolved into a web-based publication, widely recognised as the first British born-digital online newspaper. At that time, the concept of a “newspaper” referred almost exclusively to print. Telegraph Online broke that mould, publishing electronically and reaching audiences across the world via dial-up internet — years before Telegraph Group entered the digital space with the Electronic Telegraph in 1994.
Independent and distinct
Telegraph Online has always operated independently of the Daily Telegraph or Telegraph Group Ltd. To avoid confusion, every edition carried a clear disclaimer:
“Telegraph Online is not associated with the Daily Telegraph. We are associated with other independent titles including The Disability Telegraph, The Asian Telegraph, and New World, which provide a voice to Britain’s disabled communities and ethnic minorities.”
Our continuing mission
From the outset, Telegraph Online has championed accessibility and inclusion, focusing on Britain’s disabled and minority communities. That mission continues today: a platform independent of corporate media, grounded in innovation and heritage.
Forgot a detailed legal and historical account of our position, see our legal and historical archive at https://telegraph.com/Wptemp/?page_id=18