The Staggers

The New Statesman’s rolling politics blog

Observer lives to fight another day

Paper will continue to be published but at what cost?

By George Eaton Published 17 September 2009 18:45

As I anticipated on Wednesday, Guardian News & Media confirmed a few minutes ago that it would continue to publish the Observer -- ending weeks of speculation over the title's future. But the paper's staff will immediately ask: "At what cost?"

The Guardian announcement promises "further editorial integration" between the two titles, something that could spell the end of the Observer's popular monthly supplements and its stand-alone business section. The title's journalists are unlikely to be content with a vastly slimmed-down version of the paper that leaves it unable to compete with its Sunday rivals.

Guardian Media Group (GMG) had considered closing the Observer in an attempt to stem losses that stood at nearly £90m this year.

For now the title's future is safe, but unless the Guardian finds a way to monetise its vast online presence the proposal is likely to be revisited.

The Scott Trust, which owns GMG, is mandated to "to secure the financial and editorial independence of the Guardian in perpetuity" but that duty does not extend to the Observer.

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3 comments

Fri, 2009-09-18 11:18 — M.Noone (not verified)

If J.K.Rowling posted an unabridged version of all Harry Potter books online, who would buy a book? It is the same principle with newspapers, as long as editors, incredibibly, continue to post that day's paper, from 1:00a.m of that day, they, editors are killing off their newspaper/s & ( quality) journalism as we know it.
Two suggestions: charge the reader for everything, leaving brief headlines free & crucially, charge services providers for freeloading the newspapers' material & use of copy.

Sat, 2009-09-19 11:50 — PeterHCT1

The Observer needs fresh ownership or a decent burial.

Ironically, the reasons I don't buy the Observer are that:

it has become merely the Guardian on Sunday - one needs a change of paper on a Sunday

and that the bloated size of Saturday's Guardian precludes getting a further mass of newsprint on Sunday.

Sun, 2009-09-20 14:38 — Clare (not verified)

I used to love the Observer but over the years it has become more and more of a celebrity and fashion newspaper and less of a source of interesting, intelligent articles. There's pretty much no newspaper worth reading on a Sunday anymore. Bring back the quality and I'll happily reinstate the Sunday morning newspaper ritual.