W. T. (William Thomas) Stead

Born in Northumberland in 1849, he became one of the best-known journalists of his era. Encyclopaedia Britannica describes him as a British journalist, editor, and publisher who founded the influential Review of Reviews in 1890, while Wikipedia notes that he was widely seen as a pioneer of investigative journalism and a major figure in Victorian public life.

His career is especially linked with the rise of "New Journalism"—a more energetic, campaigning style of reporting that aimed to stir public opinion and push for social reform. He edited the Northern Echo and later the Pall Mall Gazette, where his exposés and advocacy made him famous, admired by some readers and sharply criticized by others.

He was also a prolific author and publicist with wide-ranging interests, including international politics, peace, and spiritualism. He died on April 15, 1912, when the Titanic sank, a dramatic end that helped fix his name in popular memory as well as in the history of modern journalism.