Observer cuts casual shifts amidst drop in pages for Sunday title
The Observer has cut casual staff and changed its production days following the sale of the paper to Tortoise in April 2025.
It has also significantly reduced pagination, although newspapers are traditionally slimmer in August.
According to one source, freelance production shifts available on a Saturday have been cut from 12 to three and the number of casual production staff working on a weekly basis is being cut from ten to two.
Freelance Observer contributors on contracts were given year-long guarantees following the transfer of ownership from The Guardian to Tortoise. But casual production staff were given no assurances.
Outspoken critic of the sale Carole Cadwalladr did not have her contract renewed.
Casual production staff were told via email this month that “as of September there will be fewer freelance production shifts available on the Observer”.
“This is partly down to a sizable drop in pagination (we are currently producing about 35 page tops across news, business and comment, whereas at Kings Place we would usually do more than that for news/focus alone), but also a desire to spread production across the week instead of leaving it all to Friday/Saturday.”
The staff email continued: “I know that many of you will be disappointed, if not upset, by this news, and I apologise for the lateness of it, but I only had it confirmed to me as of the end of last week. I will continue to push for as many freelance shifts as I can get, and there will of course be holiday cover when people are away.
“I will endeavour as always to share out shifts in the fairest way possible, but I can’t guarantee at this stage what anyone is going to get, other than it will be considerably fewer than in recent years.”
A spokesperson for the paper told Press Gazette: “We have been so pleased to bring our two newsrooms together and excited by the work we’ve been able to do on the new Observer in five short, busy months: since the Sunday we took over, sales of the paper have been up, our share of the market is higher too and The Observer has its own website for the first time.
“Newsletter readership has doubled, open rates are higher. And thanks to ObserverTV and a much, much bigger social media following, The Observer’s investigative journalism, unrivalled arts coverage, love of food, travel and fashion are reaching new audiences.
“We’re working on the launch of the app this autumn. We’ve recruited some brilliant people, landed some big stories. There’s much to do, but we promised to renew ‘the enemy of nonsense’ – and we’re just getting going.”
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