A newspaper that combined reformist politics with literary interests, the Examiner is an important periodical for students of British Romanticism. Founded in 1808, and published every Sunday by John Hunt, its editor and chief writer until 1821 was John’s brother, the poet and critic (James Henry) Leigh Hunt. Other notable contributors during its first decade included Benjamin Robert Haydon, William Hazlitt, and Charles Lamb. During the early Victorian period, under the editorships of Albany Fonblanque and John Forster, the Examiner expanded its reviewing, Forster in particular producing some important and perceptive criticism.
In its early years, the Examiner was primarily a political publication, which reported on national and international news, supported reformist causes, and attacked government corruption. Given the restrictions on press freedom during the period, it is not surprising that the government attempted to...
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Citation: Higgins, David. "The Examiner". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 22 October 2006 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=1681, accessed 09 June 2026.]
