UK: Guardian and Observer should merge some editorial

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 10, 2008 at 3:14 PM

Roger Alton, who stepped down as editor of the Observer on Jan. 1, has acknowledged that merging part of the editorial teams of the Guardian and Observer is essential.

There has been a certain amount of upheaval at several UK newspapers, including the Guardian and Daily Telegraph, concerning the integration of the daily and Sunday teams.

"If I were doing the move to King’s Cross, I’d be wanting merged teams in a whole set of areas. It wouldn’t make sense to me at all to be separate,” said Alton.

“If I was still there that’s what I’d be doing – if I was at any other paper I’d be doing that, I’d be bringing things together so you don’t get too much duplication. We have people doing the same thing.”

Could such an integration result in the Sunday paper (Observer) losing some of its identity?

Not necessarily, according to Alton. “The question is whether you are optimistic or pessimistic about the Sunday market – there are pressures on it from the twin bombs of freesheets and the migration in advertising to online.

“I know people who think it will just be Sunday Times, Mail on Sunday and News of the World as the three market sector leaders, but I don’t think that will happen.”

Source: Press Gazette through IFRA Executive News Service