John Walter Jr. (23 February 1776 – 28 July 1847) was an English newspaper editor and politician. He was the son of John Walter, the founder of The Times, and succeeded his father as the newspaper's second editor.
Biography
Walter was educated at Merchant Taylors' School and Trinity College, Oxford. Around 1798, he joined his older brother in managing of their father's paper, and in 1803 he became the sole manager and editor of The Times.
He reportedly saw The Times as an unremarkable journal with little influence and accuracy. When he left it in 1847, The Times had become a reputable paper, consulted by domestic ministers and international audiences alike.
Walter maintained that he was responsible for the reputation of the newspaper and, as such, must defend it from outside influence. He expressed his opposition to the administration of William Pitt the Younger, after which the government pulled its advertisements, and he lost his appointment as printer to the Customs. It also brought the hostility of officials.