Breaking News. How the Wheels Came Off at Reuters

“…an incredible story of arrogance, missed opportunities, and the loss of a dominant global market position…” (Financial Times, 18 August 2003)

“…the in–house lawyers at Reuters will be busy on Monday poring over a book published next week titled Breaking News…” (The Guardian, 12 September 2003)

“… a riveting book…also provides good background material for investors and potential investors in Reuters…” (The Motley Fool, 24 September 2003)

“…a devastating examination of arrogance and missed opportunities…” (Daily Express, 23 September 2003)

“…a devastating examination of arrogance and missed opportunities…” (Daily Star, 23 September 2003)

“…well documented…there are some real gems within the 200 odd pages…” (The Observer, 21 September 2003)

“…Shining through everything is a sense that Reuters lost its nerve in the 1990s…” (Financial Times– Business Books Section, 2 October 2003)

“…this story of our times unfolds in Breaking News at a sometimes breathless pace…” (Management Today, 3 October 2003)

“… journalists Brian Mooney and Barry Simpson characterise Reuters′ recent history as a snowballing catastrophe caused by a cocktail of arrogance…” (Observer, 26 October 2003)

“…booth former Reuters journalists are at their best…” (Economist, November 2003)

“…I really enjoyed reading the book…a highly recommended read…” (M2 Best Books, 19 November 2003)

“…The incredible, and readable sorry tale of Reuter’s precipitous fall from grace…” (Long Range Planning, Vol.37, No.4 August 2004)

“…an incredible story of arrogance, missed opportunities, and the loss of a dominant global market position…” (Financial Times, 18 August 2003)

“…the in–house lawyers at Reuters will be busy on Monday poring over a book published next week titled Breaking News…” (The Guardian, 12 September 2003)

“…a riveting book…also provides good background material for investors and potential investors in Reuters…” (The Motley Fool, 24 September 2003)

“…a devastating examination of arrogance and missed opportunities…” (Daily Express, 23 September 2003)

“…a devastating examination of arrogance and missed opportunities…” (Daily Star, 23 September 2003)

“…well documented…there are some real gems within the 200 odd pages…” (The Observer, 21 September 2003)

“…Shining through everything is a sense that Reuters lost its nerve in the 1990s…” (Financial Times– Business Books Section, 2 October 2003)

“…this story of our times unfolds in Breaking News at a sometimes breathless pace…” (Management Today, 3 October 2003)

“…journalists Brian Mooney and Barry Simpson characterise Reuters′ recent history as a snowballing catastrophe caused by a cocktail of arrogance…” (Observer, 26 October 2003)

“…booth former Reuters journalists are at their best…” (Economist, November 2003)

“I really enjoyed reading the book…a highly recommended read…” (M2 Best Books, 19 November 2003)

“…The incredible, and readable sorry tale of Reuter’s precipitous fall from grace…” (Long Range Planning, Vol.37, No.4 August 2004)

Reuters has suffered a sudden and dramatic reversal in its fortunes. As recently as July 2001 Reuters, Britain’s only media and financial information company with a global brand, was riding the crest of a wave following three decades of spectacular and virtually uninterrupted growth. Less than two years later, it was reporting a record loss, with massive staff layoffs and a sharp decline in its share price to the point where it is viewed in the City as a possible takeover target.

The history of Reuters is a long and prestigious one, founded on news reporting known for its accuracy, reliability and independence. It was Reuters that first broke the news to the world of Lincoln′s assassination and the Relief of Mafeking. At its peak in the 1980s and 1990s, Reuters was one of the most dynamic and successful companies in the world. So how could a company of such fine traditions, that fostered writing talents like Ian Fleming, Tim Sebastian and Frederick Forsyth, and pioneered the electronic market place to become the world’s largest financial information vendor, have got it so disastrously wrong?

Investigative journalism of the highest quality mixes easily with tabloid–style sensationalism in this riveting expose of the greatest achievements and biggest failures of one of the world′s most famous companies.