The sale of the Observer, the oldest Sunday newspaper in the world and a pillar of liberal journalism in the UK, was approved on Friday, despite two days of journalist strikes earlier in the week, Reports AP.
The Scott Trust, owner of the Guardian Media Group—which encompasses both the Observer and its sister publication, the Guardian—announced that it will be selling the Observer to Tortoise Media, with finalisation expected soon. The Scott Trust will take a significant stake in Tortoise Media and join its editorial and commercial boards.
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As part of the agreement, Tortoise Media will invest £25 million ($32 million) into the Observer, which has been part of the Guardian Media Group since 1993, after its founding in 1791. Tortoise has pledged to maintain the Observer’s Sunday print edition and enhance its digital presence. Additionally, the new owners committed to upholding the Observer's editorial independence and adhering to the Scott Trust’s “liberal values and journalistic standards.”
Tortoise, established in 2019 by former Times editor James Harding and ex-U.S. ambassador Matthew Barzun, sees the Observer as embodying “the best of liberal, pioneering journalism.” Harding expressed his commitment to sustaining the newspaper’s legacy as an advocate for human dignity and giving it renewed influence as a progressive voice.
Ole Jacob Sunde, chair of the Scott Trust, stated that the Observer needed a partner that would provide stable funding and respect both its editorial independence and liberal ethos.
Journalists at the Guardian and Observer protested the sale, staging a 48-hour strike on Wednesday and Thursday. Although the Guardian is a larger and more dominant brand, especially online, the two publications have shared resources and operated from the same London building.
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Katharine Viner, editor-in-chief of Guardian News & Media, acknowledged the anxiety the situation caused Observer staff but expressed confidence in the sale’s potential to secure the newspaper’s future.
Laura Davison, the general secretary-elect of the National Union of Journalists, criticised the timing of the decision, noting that it came during a period of significant strike action.
Giao Pacey, a media law partner at Simkins LLP, warned that the Observer’s new leadership must tread carefully to protect its reputation, built over centuries. “The leadership will need to balance preserving the newspaper’s legacy, culture, and integrity with ensuring it has the resources to succeed in a fast-changing media landscape,” Pacey said.