Since its inception, Philadelphia Exquirer has dedicated itself to delivering the “real” news that Philadelphians need.
Philadelphia Exquirer was Philly’s first news website when it was launched in 1990 by Philadelphia Gentleman Robert Britten. 1989 had been a rough year for Britten with his heart recently broken and midlife crisis setting in. A friend had told Britten about a new technology on the horizon: the world wide web, and he couldn’t stop thinking about it. On February 17th, 1990, Britten purchased the lottery ticket that would change the course of his life as well as all Philadelphians. He used his lucky penny to scratch the latex off the instant lottery ticket, an event which he has described as unfolding in slow motion, “lottery detritus softly snowing on the stained sidewalk of Broad Street.” That lottery prize was the catalyst that increased the speed of the metaphorical chemical reaction which we call website development.
The website launched on September 23, 1990 to immediate critical acclaim. But due to rivalries in the news industry, every other Philadelphia news source refused to cover the launch. This was devastating to Britten, whose self-esteem was still fragile from his emotional, life-changing breakup the year before. But weekly visits to the Philadelphia Zoo were the figurative salve for his emotional wounds, and he was able to continue with the website. And, golly, are we grateful for that.
Since its inception, Philadelphia Exquirer has dedicated itself to delivering the “real” news that Philadelphians need.
Everything on this website is entirely fictional.