Journalists at the Guardian are holding a 48-hour strike in protest against the proposed sale of the Observer newspaper to Tortoise Media. The strike, which begins on Wednesday and Thursday, is due to take place after National Union of Journalists (NUJ) members passed a motion last month stating that selling the Sunday newspaper would be a “betrayal” of the Scott Trust’s commitment to the Observer.
The sale has been met with strong opposition from Guardian staff, who are concerned about the potential impact on the paper’s editorial independence and liberal journalism values. The NUJ general secretary-elect, Laura Davison, said that journalists’ desire to publicly highlight their concerns is behind the strike.
Tortoise Media, run by James Harding, former editor of the Times and director of BBC News, has proposed continuing to publish the Observer on Sundays and building its digital presence. However, Guardian officials claim they will continue to publish online and produce print editions as usual during the strike.
The Scott Trust, which owns the Guardian, will remain a part-owner of the Observer in the proposed deal, with any new owners required to uphold the paper’s editorial independence and liberal journalism values. The strike coincides with the Observer marking 233 years since its first publication.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2024/dec/04/journalists-strike-proposed-sale-observer-tortoise-media-guardian