Scott Trust Faces Backlash Over Proposed Observer Sale to Tortoise Media

Critics, including The Observer's former editor, question the financial and strategic rationale behind the deal as staff prepare for strikes.

The Scott Trust plans to sell The Observer, the world's oldest Sunday newspaper, to Tortoise Media, a digital start-up founded in 2018.
Paul Webster, The Observer's former editor, called the sale a betrayal of the Trust's commitment to liberal journalism, arguing it is based on flawed financial premises.
Tortoise Media has pledged to invest £25 million in The Observer over five years but has faced scrutiny over its history of financial losses, including £4.6 million in 2022.
Jay Rayner, a high-profile restaurant critic at The Observer for 25 years, has announced his departure to the Financial Times, citing concerns about the sale.
Guardian and Observer journalists, represented by the National Union of Journalists, have voted to strike next month in opposition to the proposed deal.