• by Ray Schultz , December 18, 2024

The Observer, the Sunday newspaper that is in the process of being acquired by Tortoise Media, has named Lucy Rock as print editor, the first female in that role in more than a century.  

Rock will work alongside a digital editor and both will report to James Harding, editor in chief.

The Scott Trust, owner of The Guardian and The Observer, announced the formal signing of the sale on Tuesday. It is expected to be completed in the spring of 2025. 

The sale agreement includes a combination of cash and shares. The Scott Trust will commit £5 million to Tortoise Media as part of a £25m investment in the Observer, The Guardian reports. In addition, the Scott Trust will have a seat on the Tortoise board. 

Observer employees have the choice of transferring to Tortoise or opting to accept “enhanced voluntary redundancy,” The Guardian reports. 

Earlier this month, journalists at The Guardian and The Observer conducted two 49-hour strikes to protest the planned sale. One reporter called it “a total betrayal of The Guardian’s values and promises that it’s made.”

Tortoise plans to continue publishing The Observer on Sundays, while building podcasts, newsletters and live events, The Guardian continues.