news Strike over plans to sell The Observer MARK THOMAS


JOURNALISTS at The Guardian and The Observer went on strike for the first time in 53 years to try to halt the sale of The Observer, the world’s oldest Sunday newspaper, to the loss- making online news operation Tortoise. As The Journalist went to


press, journalists were staging the first two-day walkout with a second one planned in mid-December. The action followed a 93 per cent vote in favour of strike action at the Guardian Media Group.


The proposed sale has


generated huge protests from journalists and prominent figures in the arts who fear for the future of The Observer under Tortoise’s ownership. Tortoise, founded by former Times editor and former head of BBC news


In October more than


70 leading cultural figures including actors Ralph Fiennes, Toby Young, playwright Tom Stoppard, musician Jarvis Cocker and broadcaster and campaigner Carole Voderman wrote an open letter to the Scott Trust warning that The Observer would be put in jeopardy. NUJ branches and chapels


James Harding, has amassed mounting losses since it started in 2018. Its last published accounts showed a cumulative loss of £16.3 million to the end of 2022. The losses in 2022 alone were £4.6 million, a 45 per cent increase on the previous year. Tortoise began


producing long form journalism online but two years ago switched to focus on podcasts and audio. Just before the strike a


series of former editors added their weight to the protests over plans by the Scott Trust which owns the Guardian Media Group.


Laura is new general secretary


LAURA DAVISON, a seasoned NUJ official, is to be the union’s new general secretary after members elected her to the role in a ballot that closed in October. Laura won 1976 votes and the other candidate Natasha Hirst, the union’s president


polled 644. The turnout among the 21,410 eligible NUJ members was 12.3 per cent. Laura, who was previously a journalist at the BBC, has been a full-time official of the union since 2007. She was NUJ national organiser for


newspapers and news agencies for 10 years - during which time she led and was part of negotiations at The Financial Times, The Guardian, Reach, National World, Newsquest, Thomson Reuters and many others – until this summer when she took over


Paul Webster, Observer


editor until November when he left, wrote to the Scott Trust with fellow former Observer editors Roger Alton, John Mulholland, Will Hutton, Jonathan Fenby and former Guardian and Observer editor-in-chief Alan Rusbridger.


the broadcasting brief. She said: “At a critical time


for the organised voice of working journalists to be heard, I want us to grow and strengthen our union, maximising new opportunities created by legislative change and our legal, policy and industrial work. Every one of us has the


Members branch out in North Yorkshire


A NEW branch of the union has been formed to represent members in York and North Yorkshire. The branch will hold regular online meetings so journalists in


every part of the county can participate. It also plans a series of socials to bring everyone together in person. Members in North Yorkshire had been kept connected to the union via the neighbouring Leeds and West Yorkshire branch after the old York and Scarborough branches fell dormant. Following a launch meeting held at the Minster Inn in York in


October, they now have their own dedicated branch again. Richard Edwards and Gemma Dillon, branch co-chairs of the


resurrected branch, said: “There was real energy and a cracking mix of members at that historic first meeting – held,


fittingly, in the same venue used by the old York branch. “This is an exciting time - we’re growing trade unionism –


please spread the word, recruit and build this new branch into an NUJ powerhouse.” Those present for the launch meeting included journalists


working for local broadcasters, national and local press and in PR, as well as journalism students. They were joined by regional national executive member


Georgina Morris, who said: “It’s been fantastic to see such an enthusiastic response to the idea of reviving the branch and to have had such a range of journalists – including from the PR and comms sector - join us for the first meeting.”


sent messages of solidarity to the striking journalists and picket lines were supported by union officials and high-profile figures including the author Michael Rosen and the artist Grayson Perry. Laura Davison, NUJ general secretary-elect, said: “Many are here showing solidarity and saying it’s too important for a deal to be done behind closed doors and too important for wider public life.


power to encourage and support others to get involved and be part of something bigger than themselves. “I’m looking forward to


getting stuck in, working with everyone who contributes to the success of the NUJ and meeting more of our brilliant reps, members and activists over the coming months.”


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