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The Observer

The Observer front page on 21 January 2018
Type	Sunday newspaper (If Christmas Day falls on Sunday instead of a normal edition a special Christmas edition would be published on Saturday which is Christmas Eve)
Format	Broadsheet (until 2006) Berliner (2006–2018), Compact (since 2018)
Owner(s)	Guardian Media Group
Editor	Paul Webster
Founded	4 December 1791; 233 years ago (1791-12-04)
Political alignment	Centre-left British republicanism
Language	English
Headquarters	Kings Place, 90 York Way, London
Circulation	136,656 (as of July 2021)
Sister newspapers	The Guardian, The Guardian Weekly
ISSN	0029-7712
OCLC number	50230244
Website	observer.theguardian.com

The Observer is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to The Guardian and The Guardian Weekly, having been acquired by their parent company, Guardian Media Group Limited, in 1993. In December 2024, a deal was announced to sell the paper to Tortoise Media. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.

History

Origins

The first issue, published on 4 December 1791 by W.S. Bourne, was the world's first Sunday newspaper. Believing that the paper would be a means of wealth, Bourne instead soon found himself facing debts of nearly £1,600. Though early editions purported editorial independence, Bourne attempted to cut his losses and sell the title to the government. When this failed, Bourne's brother (a wealthy businessman) made an offer to the government, which also refused to buy the paper but agreed to subsidise it in return for influence over its editorial content. As a result, the paper soon took a strong line against radicals such as Thomas Paine, Francis Burdett and Joseph Priestley.

19th century

In 1807, the brothers decided to relinquish editorial control, naming Lewis Doxat as the new editor. Seven years later, the brothers sold The Observer to William Innell Clement, a newspaper proprietor who owned a number of publications. The paper continued to receive government subsidies during this period; in 1819, of the approximately 23,000 copies of the paper distributed weekly, approximately 10,000 were given away as "specimen copies", distributed by postmen who were paid to deliver them to "lawyers, doctors, and gentlemen of the town."

Clement maintained ownership of The Observer until his death in 1852. After Doxat retired in 1857, Clement's heirs sold the paper to Joseph Snowe, who also took over the editor's chair.

In 1870, wealthy businessman Julius Beer bought the paper and appointed Edward Dicey as editor, whose efforts succeeded in reviving circulation. Though Beer's son Frederick became the owner upon Julius's death in 1880, he had little interest in the newspaper and was content to leave Dicey as editor until 1889. Henry Duff Traill took over the editorship after Dicey's departure, only to be replaced in 1891 by Frederick's wife, Rachel Beer, of the Sassoon family. She remained as editor for thirteen years, combining it in 1893 with the editorship of The Sunday Times, a newspaper that she had also bought.

20th century

Upon Frederick's death in 1903, the paper was purchased by the newspaper magnate Lord Northcliffe. In 1911, William Waldorf Astor was approached by James Louis Garvin, the editor of The Observer, about purchasing the newspaper from Northcliffe. Northcliffe and Garvin had a disagreement over the issue of Imperial Preference, and Northcliffe had given Garvin the option of finding a buyer for the paper.

Northcliffe sold the paper to Astor, who transferred ownership to his son Waldorf Astor, 2nd Viscount Astor four years later. Astor convinced his father to purchase the paper, which William did on the condition that Garvin also agree to edit the Pall Mall Gazette, which was also a property of the Astor family. Garvin departed as editor in 1942.

Ownership passed to Waldorf's sons in 1948, with David taking over as editor. He remained in the position for 27 years, during which time he turned it into a trust-owned newspaper employing, among others, George Orwell, Paul Jennings and C. A. Lejeune. In 1977, the Astors sold the ailing newspaper to US oil giant Atlantic Richfield (now called ARCO) who sold it to Lonrho plc in 1981.

It became part of the Guardian Media Group in June 1993, after a rival acquisition bid by The Independent was rejected.

Farzad Bazoft, a journalist for The Observer, was executed in Iraq in 1990 on charges of spying. In 2003, The Observer interviewed the Iraqi colonel who had arrested and interrogated Bazoft and who was convinced that Bazoft was not a spy.

21st century

On 27 February 2005, The Observer Blog was launched. In addition to the weekly Observer Magazine colour supplement which is still present every Sunday, for several years each issue of The Observer came with a different free monthly magazine. These magazines had the titles Observer Sport Monthly, Observer Music Monthly, Observer Woman and Observer Food Monthly.

Content from The Observer is included in The Guardian Weekly for an international readership.

The Observer followed its daily partner The Guardian and converted to Berliner format on Sunday 8 January 2006.

The Observer was awarded the National Newspaper of the Year at the British Press Awards 2007. Editor Roger Alton stepped down at the end of 2007, and was replaced by his deputy, John Mulholland.

In early 2010, the paper was restyled. An article on the paper's website previewing the new version stated that "The News section, which will incorporate Business and personal finance, will be home to a new section, Seven Days, offering a complete round-up of the previous week's main news from Britain and around the world, and will also focus on more analysis and comment."

In July 2021, Ofcom announced that The Guardian continued to be the UK's most widely used newspaper website and app for news and had increased its audience share by 1% over the preceding year. 23% of consumers, who used websites or apps for news, used The Guardian, which also hosts The Observer online content. This compared to 22% for the Daily Mail website.

In September 2024, The Guardian revealed it was in talks to sell The Observer to news website Tortoise Media. Journalists at Guardian Media Group passed a vote to condemn the sale and passed a vote of no confidence in the newspaper’s owners, accusing it of betrayal amid concerns that the sale of the paper could harm the financial security of staff members. On 6 December 2024 it was announced that, despite 48 hours of strikes by journalists, the Observer deal with Tortoise was agreed in principle and would go ahead. The final sale price has not been disclosed.

Supplements and features

After the paper was rejuvenated in early 2010, the main paper came with only a small number of supplements – Sport, The Observer Magazine, The New Review and The New York Times International Weekly, an 8-page supplement of articles selected from The New York Times that has been distributed with the paper since 2007. Every four weeks the paper includes The Observer Food Monthly magazine, and in September 2013 it launched Observer Tech Monthly, a science and technology section which won the Grand Prix at the 2014 Newspaper Awards.

Previously, the main paper had come with a larger range of supplements including Sport, Business & Media, Review, Escape (a travel supplement), The Observer Magazine and various special interest monthlies, such as The Observer Food Monthly, Observer Women monthly which was launched in 2006, Observer Sport Monthly and The Observer Film Magazine.

The Newsroom

The Observer and its sister newspaper The Guardian operate a visitor centre in London called The Newsroom. It contains their archives, including bound copies of old editions, a photographic library and other items such as diaries, letters and notebooks. This material may be consulted by members of the public. The Newsroom also mounts temporary exhibitions and runs an educational programme for schools.

In November 2007, The Observer and The Guardian made their archives available over the Internet. The current extent of the archives available are 1791 to 2000 for The Observer and 1821 to 2000 for The Guardian. They will eventually go up to 2003. In 2023, copies from 2004 onwards and gaps were to be filled to latest edition.

Bans

The paper was banned in Egypt in February 2008 for publishing cartoons of the Prophet Muhammed.

Editors

• W. S. Bourne & W. H. Bourne (1791–1807)
• Lewis Doxat (1807–1857)
• Joseph Snowe (1857–1870)
• Edward Dicey (1870–1889)
• Henry Duff Traill (1889–1891)
• Rachel Beer (1891–1904)
• Austin Harrison (1904–1908)
• James Louis Garvin (1908–1942)
• Ivor Brown (1942–1948)
• David Astor (1948–1975)
• Donald Trelford (1975–1993)
• Jonathan Fenby (1993–1995)
• Andrew Jaspan (1995–1996)
• Will Hutton (1996–1998)
• Roger Alton (1998–2007)
• John Mulholland (2008–2018)
• Paul Webster (2018–2024)
• Lucy Rock (acting) (November 2024-Present)

Photographers

• Jane Bown (resident from 1949 until her death in 2014)
• Stuart Heydinger (1960–1966)
• Antonio Olmos (freelance)
• Harry Borden (freelance)
• Michael Peto (freelance)
• Colin Jones (freelance)
• Dean Chalkley (freelance)
• Don McCullin (freelance)
• Philip Jones Griffiths (freelance)
• Giles Duley (freelance)

Awards

The Observer was named the British Press Awards National Newspaper of the Year for 2006. Its supplements have three times won "Regular Supplement of the Year" (Sport Monthly, 2001; Food Monthly, 2006, 2012).

Observer journalists have won a range of British Press Awards, including

• "Interviewer of the Year" (Lynn Barber, 2001; Sean O'Hagan, 2002; Rachel Cooke, 2005; Chrissy Iley (freelance for Observer and Sunday Times magazine), 2007)
• "Critic of the Year" (Jay Rayner, 2005; Philip French, 2008; Rowan Moore, 2013)
• "Food & Drink Writer of the Year" (John Carlin, 2003)
• "Travel Writer of the Year" (Tim Moore, 2004)

See also

• Journalism portal
• London portal
• Anthony Howard
• Cambridge Apostles
• Observer Mace debating competition – now known as the John Smith Memorial Mace

References

1. Graham Snowdon, "Inside the 19 January edition", The Guardian Weekly, 16 January 2018 (page visited on 19 January 2018).
2. Matt Wells (15 October 2004). "World writes to undecided voters". The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 13 July 2008.
3. Katwala, Sunder (7 February 2012). "The monarchy is more secure than ever". The New Statesman. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
4. Tobitt, Charlotte; Majid, Aisha (25 January 2023). "National press ABCs: December distribution dive for freesheets Standard and City AM". Press Gazette. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
5. Ponsford, Dominic (6 December 2024). "Scott Trust approves sale of The Observer to Tortoise Media". Press Gazette. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
6. "The Observer under review". BBC News. 4 August 2009. Retrieved 27 March 2010.
7. ^ "History of the Observer". The Guardian. 6 June 2002.
8. John Simkin (1997), "Sunday Observer", Spartacus Educational
9. Dennis Griffiths (ed.), The Encyclopedia of the British Press, 1422–1992, London and Basingstoke: Macmillan, 1992, p. 159.
10. "Ad Info – Observer History". 17 September 2009. Archived from the original on 17 September 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
11. Alfred M. Gollin, The Observer and J. L. Garvin, 1908–1914 (London: Oxford University Press, 1960), pgs. 300–303.
12. Leapman, Michael (15 May 1993). "New editor chosen for 'Observer': 'Guardian' deputy to succeed Trelford". The Independent. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
13. Vulliamy, Ed (18 May 2003). "Writer hanged by Iraq 'no spy'". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
14. Observer blog, accessed 27 February 2007.
15. Claire Cozens, "Observer announces relaunch date", The Observer, 19 December 2005; accessed 27 February 2007.
16. The archive – summary of holdings, accessed 27 February 2007.
17. Ltd, Magstar. "Press Awards". www.pressawards.org.uk. Archived from the original on 2 April 2016.
18. Stephen Brook (3 January 2008). "Mulholland reshapes Observer team". The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 17 February 2008.
19. John Mulholland, "Welcome to the new Observer", Guardian.co.uk, 21 February 2010.
20. Gayle, Damien (28 July 2021). "Guardian most widely used newspaper website and app for news, says Ofcom". The Guardian.
21. Warrington, James; Mawardi, Adam (17 September 2024). "The Guardian in talks to sell The Observer to former BBC News chief". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 18 September 2024. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
22. Farber, Alex; Cahill, Helen (17 September 2024). "Guardian Media Group in talks to sell The Observer". The Times. Archived from the original on 18 September 2024. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
23. Cahill, Helen; Farber, Alex (19 September 2024). "Journalists revolt over planned sale of Observer to Tortoise Media". The Times. Archived from the original on 19 September 2024. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
24. Warrington, James (19 September 2024). "Guardian staff accuse management of 'betrayal' over Observer sale talks". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 19 September 2024. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
25. "Sale of the Observer to Tortoise Media agreed in principle". The Guardian. 6 December 2024. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
26. Gavriel Hollander (27 August 2003). "Observer to launch new monthly technology supplement". Press Gazette. Retrieved 21 May 2015.
27. "Observer wins top prize at 2014 Newspaper Awards". The Guardian. 2 April 2014. Retrieved 21 May 2015.
28. "New editor at the FINANCIAL TIMES" (PDF). Press Business (1). February 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 7 October 2013.
29. "How to access past articles from the Guardian and Observer archive". The Guardian. 15 November 2017.
30. "Der Spiegel issue on Islam banned in Egypt". France24. 2 April 2008. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
31. "Paul Webster appointed new editor of The Observer". The Guardian (Press release). 18 January 2018. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
32. Greg Whitmore (3 November 2019). "Stuart Heydinger obituary". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 3 November 2019 – via www.theguardian.com.
33. ^ Press Gazette, Roll of Honour, accessed 24 July 2011. Archived 16 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine.

Bibliography

• Richard Cockett (1990), David Astor and The Observer, André Deutsch, London. 294 pp. with index. ISBN 0-233-98735-5. Has endpapers that are facsimiles of The Observer, with other black-and-white photographic plates of personnel linked to the newspaper.
• Jane Bown (2015), A Lifetime of Looking, Faber & Faber Ltd.ISBN 1-783-35088-1. Contains the most iconic photos she took for The Observer from 1949 to the last photo she took a few months before her death in December 2014. Photos include The Beatles, Mick Jagger, the Queen, John Betjeman and Björk.

External links

• Official website
• DigitalArchive paid-for service
• History of the Guardian Media Group 1821–2004; as of 28 October 2005; Guardian Media Group
• Observer timeline
• History of the Observer

v t e Guardian Media Group
Subsidiaries and divisions	Newspapers The Guardian The Guardian Weekly The Observer Other Guardian.com Guardian Australia Guardian New Zealand Guardian US
Joint ventures and shareholdings	Ascential (50%) Development Hell (29.5%) Seven Publishing (41.9%)
Former holdings	GMG Radio Trader Media Group
Other	C. P. Scott Guardian Student Media Award Scott Trust John Edward Taylor
Category

• The Observer
• 1791 establishments in England
• Centre-left newspapers
• Guardian Media Group
• Liberal media in the United Kingdom
• National newspapers published in the United Kingdom
• Publications established in 1791
• Republicanism in the United Kingdom
• Sunday newspapers published in the United Kingdom