The Observer

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses, see The Observer (disambiguation).

Type	Weekly newspaper
Format	Berliner (ex-Broadsheet)
Owner	Guardian Media Group
Editor	Roger Alton
Founded	1791
Political allegiance	Centre left
Headquarters	Farringdon, London
Website: observer.guardian.co.uk

The Observer is a United Kingdom newspaper published on Sundays. Overall slightly to the right of its daily sister paper The Guardian, it takes a liberal/social democratic line on most issues.

Contents 1 History 2 The Newsroom 3 Editors 4 See also 5 External links

[edit] History

The first issue, published on 4 December 1791, was the world's first Sunday newspaper.

In 1911, William Waldorf Astor, 1st Viscount Astor (1848-1919) purchased The Observer from the Harmsworth family. It remained a Tory paper, as it had always been, until 1942, with the end of the 34-year editorship of J. L. Garvin. After his time, it declared itself non-partisan, an unusual stance for the time.

Ownership passed to the 2nd Viscount, Waldorf Astor, who in turn passed it on in 1948 to his sons, one of whom, David Astor (1912-2001), would be the paper's0.html]

[edit] 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.

[edit] Editors

• Rachel Beer (1890 – 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 – )

[edit] See also

• Anthony Howard
• Cambridge Apostles
• Nick Cohen
• Observer Mace debating competition - now known as the John Smith Memorial Mace

[edit] External links

• Observer website
• Information about The Newsroom Archive and Visitor Centre
• Article in the Observer about Wikipedia
• History of Guardian Media Group 1990 - 1999, Guardian Media Group website; as of March 2, 2003; [1] (link requires Flash to view timeline)
• History of the Observer