Long-standing Observer journalist Carole Cadwalladr has had her contract ended by Tortoise Media ahead of its take-over of the title.
The National Union of Journalists has expressed “serious concern” that Cadwalladr’s exit from the title follows her making public criticism of the deal.
Cadwalladr has been employed on a freelance contract for 20 years by Guardian Media Group and is one of around 20 such contract freelances who were expected to transfer across to Tortoise Media. Around 40 Observer staff are also transferring across to become Tortoise employees. Contract staff like Cadwalladr have been told they do not qualify for redundancy payouts.
As part of a deal with the NUJ to avert further strike action, Guardian bosses assured the union that contractors like Cadwalladr would be offered year-long Tortoise Media contracts.
However, Tortoise has written to Cadwalladr telling her that she will not be offered a contract.
Her Guardian contract ends on 20 April, which will be the last edition of The Observer published by Guardian Media Group.
Press Gazette asked Guardian management whether this was a breach of its deal with the NUJ. A spokesperson said this was a matter for Tortoise Media. Tortoise declined to comment.
Cadwalladr was an outspoken public critic of the Observer sale, despite being warned by Guardian management to “desist” from making public statements which it felt disparaged the business.
Speaking at a press freedom conference in Malta in November she said: “At this point, we, the journalists of The Guardian and Observer, believe The Guardian’s management is an active threat to press freedom.” Some 93% of NUJ members at the Guardian and Observer voted in favour of industrial action against the sale and went on strike for four days.
Cadwalladr launched her own newsletter on Substack in November, “How to Survive the Broligarchy”, and already has more than 54,000 free subscribers and more than 1,000 paying supporters. She has used the outlet to raise questions over the funding of Tortoise Media and its founder James Harding’s business connections.
NUJ general secretary Laura Davison said: “It’s disappointing to learn that an agreement reached during negotiations as part of this high-profile dispute appears to have been breached. Decisions regarding freelance contracts must be genuine and rooted in direct involvement with individuals. Any suggestion that these have been impacted by legitimate points expressed about the future of the title during a period of industrial action would be of serious concern.”
Asked by Press Gazette to comment on news her contract was being ended, Cadwalladr said: “It was a privilege to be able to speak up on behalf of colleagues and fellow union members during the strike and I don’t regret doing so. I’ll miss my brilliant Observer colleagues who are transferring to Tortoise and who I’ve worked with so collaboratively and constructively for the last 20 years and wish them the very best of luck.
“But it’s actually an incredibly energising moment to try something new in the media space. I’ve been warning for years about the collision of technology and democracy and that’s now happened. The autocratic takeover of the US government is underpinned by a crisis in our media and information space and the flood of US journalists onto platforms like Substack desperate to build a properly independent public interest alternative is genuinely inspiring. I’m incredibly touched by how many people are supporting my efforts to do the same.”
Her new podcast for the BBC, Stalked, is currently the most popular true-crime podcast in the UK. She has launched another podcast series this year with Peter Jukes called “Sergei and the Secret Spy Ring. And her Substack newsletter now also has its own podcast.
Cadwalladr’s reporting for The Observer of the Cambridge Analytica scandal won her two British Journalism Awards, as well as the Orwell Prize and a Polk Award. She was also a Pulitzer Prize finalist.
An Observer insider, who asked not to be named publicly, told Press Gazette: “It’s incredibly depressing – enraging, in fact – that after a 20 year career and so much excellent Guardian and Observer journalism, Carole has received not so much as a phone call from senior management at GNM about the fact that – unlike all other contracted Observer writers – Tortoise will not be renewing her contract, as was agreed as part of the deal to buy the Observer.
“Carole spoke out publically about the serious concerns held by the vast majority of Observer and Guardian staff about the Tortoise transfer and we are all grateful to her. It was typically brave of Carole – a shame that her bosses have not displayed an ounce of that courage.”
A spokesperson for Tortoise Media said: “We want to bring together two newsrooms where people have shared values and confidence in each other.
“We are great admirers of Carole’s journalism and know how important and fearless her reporting has been, but, sadly, she has made it clear that she does not think we are the right people for the future of The Observer.
“We hope we can work together at some point in the future and we have invited Carole, if she wishes, to meet to discuss it.”
Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog
