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 from a modem based bulletin board into a web based publication. On the evidence available to us it appears to have been one of the first British born digital online newspapers, publishing electronically before national print titles launched their own dedicated online editions.
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, This development took place at a time when Telegraph Group’s own digital presence was only just emerging with the launch of the Electronic Telegraph which entered the digital space with the name 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.
For a detailed legal and historical account of our position, see our legal and historical archive at https://telegraph.com/Wptemp/?page_id=18
