Sale of The Observer
The NUJ Guardian & Observer chapel passed motions opposing the proposed sale of The Observer to Tortoise Media, alongside a vote of no confidence in the Scott Trust at an emergency chapel meeting on 18 September.
Motion one:
The Guardian and Observer NUJ chapel is united in its opposition to the sale of the Observer newspaper to Tortoise Media.
The sale is a betrayal of the Scott Trust’s commitment to the Observer as part of the Guardian News and Media family.
Beyond that commitment, the Observer is an essential element of the offering to subscribers, donors and supporters.
On becoming the chair of the Scott Trustees in 2021, Ole Jacob Sunde said: “The Guardian, The Observer and the Scott Trust itself are hugely important institutions in global media, whose names are bywords for journalistic excellence, independence, courage and integrity."
The sentiment expressed by the Scott Trust chair should be honoured, in perpetuity.
The chapel notes that Tortoise Media has committed £25m over five years for investment in the Observer.
The chapel further acknowledges that Tortoise Media has made it clear it intends to employ all Observer staff as part of the takeover.
Yet the proposed sale does not, and cannot, offer the same security to the Observer and its staff as they seek to maintain their reputation for journalistic excellence, independence, courage and integrity.
There is no security for Observer staff, freelancers or the newspaper itself once it is owned by a relatively small business with scant resources to withstand any headwinds, whether they be downturns in the advertising market or temporary lulls in news-stand sales or reader revenues.
There are also many implications for Guardian staff working in departments that are integrated with the Observer should a sale be agreed – including Sport, Foreign, Business, library services, the readers editor and many more.
How will the Tortoise/Observer replicate these departments within the £25m budget it has so far declared?
If it cannot show these departments will be replicated, then the Observer is diminished. If it is intending to recreate these departments, then the Guardian has new competition.
The chapel believes the Scott Trust has the resources to invest in the Observer and maintain its longstanding place in the Guardian News and Media seven-day newspaper publication run.
The Trust should reconsider its decision to enter exclusive talks with Tortoise Media.
Furthermore, it should allocate resources to enhance the Observer and secure its future in perpetuity.
We are united as a chapel and as colleagues who work together, and we reject any proposals that would divide us.
Motion two:
The Guardian and Observer chapel believes the Scott Trust has betrayed its principles and prior commitments in agreeing to talks with a third party about the sale of the Observer newspaper.
A short-term decision based on flawed analysis puts members of our chapel at risk. The decision also has wider ramifications for the future of liberal journalism and the trust's ability to protect the Guardian, the Observer and liberal journalism in perpetuity.
We therefore, and with huge regret, must express that we have no confidence in the Scott Trust and its trustee members to pursue the trust's mandate.
The chapel is seeking an urgent meeting with management to discuss next steps.