Times Online has introduced a global edition feature to its home page to push its columnists and opinion pieces to a growing international audience.
A navigation bar across the home page allows the user to select either the UK perspective or global edition of the site's news and, from today, the global edition will automatically appear to readers using non-English language systems.
Online editorial director Peter Bale said that the site was building on the brand's investment in its overseas audience, as led by editor Robert Thomson. Anecdotal evidence from site traffic was confirmed by research last year that showed the international demand for Times news, according to Mr Bale.
Times Online's audience has grown from 1.5 million monthly users in June 2004 to 7.7 million, 4 million of which are overseas.
"Since we lifted the subscriptions to overseas readers in October 2004, we've learnt that there is a real appetite for this rich, high-level brand," he told journalism.co.uk.
"It's about being confident with our brand and saying 'this is our view of the world'."
The site has not commissioned new columnists or content for the new channel, but selected "a more edited perspective" of the Times' take on world events, highlighting columnists such as Carl Mortished and Bronwen Maddox. Selected stories will be less UK-focused than the existing world news section.
The new channel is also expected to generate more opportunities for online advertising, attracting a different range of global brands.
