The Economist
British weekly newspaper of record; liberal market economics, global reach, anonymous journalism.
Last refreshed: 26 May 2026
Why does The Economist publish all its articles without bylines?
Timeline for The Economist
Mentioned in: Tehran says ball is in America's court
Iran Conflict 2026- Why does The Economist not use bylines on its articles?
- The Economist's policy of anonymous journalism dates to its founding in 1843. The intention is for the institution to speak as a collective voice rather than individual writers, keeping the publication's stance consistent regardless of who wrote a given piece.
- Who owns The Economist?
- The Economist is owned by The Economist Group. The Agnelli family holds a significant minority stake, alongside staff shareholders and independent investors. No single shareholder holds a majority.
- What is the Economist Intelligence Unit?
- The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) is a sister organisation that produces country risk ratings, economic forecasts, and geopolitical scenario analysis for governments, central banks, and corporations. It operates independently of the weekly newspaper's editorial team.
- Is The Economist left-wing or right-wing?
- Neither, by its own description. The Economist's editorial stance is classical liberal in the European sense: pro-free markets, pro-free trade, pro-immigration, and supportive of evidence-based policy. It is comfortable criticising both Left and right when they depart from those principles.
Background
The Economist is a British weekly newspaper founded in 1843 in London, owned by the Economist Group, in which the Agnelli family holds a significant stake alongside staff and independent shareholders. It publishes in print and digital editions with a combined global readership of around 7 million, making it one of the most widely read English-language journals of politics and economics worldwide. All articles are published anonymously, a long-standing editorial policy intended to make the institution rather than individual writers the voice of the publication.
The Economist's editorial stance is classically liberal in the European tradition: it favours free markets, free trade, open immigration, and liberal democracy, and it consistently supports evidence-based policy over ideological prescription. It covers global politics, business, Science, and culture with a breadth that most rivals do not match at comparable depth. Its annual polling collaboration with YouGov produces widely cited surveys on political approval and public opinion; the YouGov/Economist tracker is regularly referenced in US political analysis, including during the 2026 midterm cycle when it found 35% approval for Trump's economic management.
The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), a sister organisation, produces country risk ratings, economic forecasts, and geopolitical scenario analysis used by governments, central banks, and corporations worldwide. The parent brand and the EIU together give The Economist unusual cross-over authority between journalism and institutional analysis, with their assessments cited by policymakers and media alike.
