BBC historian under scrutiny over ‘conflicted’ role in Observer sale

Broadcaster David Olusoga sits on Guardian owner’s board and has taken part in events hosted by Tortoise

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Broadcaster David Olusoga is under scrutiny over his role in the sale of The Observer after journalists highlighted his links to suitor Tortoise Media.
Mr Olusoga, a high-profile historian who has presented documentaries for the BBC, sits on the board of the Scott Trust, the £1.3bn endowment that owns The Guardian and The Observer.
The 12-member Scott Trust will meet on Monday to vote on whether to approve the sale of the world’s oldest Sunday newspaper to Tortoise, a loss-making start-up run by James Harding, the former BBC News boss.
However, journalists have raised concerns about Mr Olusoga’s involvement in the decision-making given his ties to Tortoise and the risk of a perceived conflict of interest.
The historian was pictured with Mr Harding at the Kite Festival at Abbey Road Studios last month after delivering a talk entitled “The Truth About Britain’s Past”.
He has also taken part in numerous events hosted by the start-up known as “think-ins” alongside Mr Harding.
The connections have attracted scrutiny among Guardian journalists, who questioned whether these links constituted a conflict of interest. The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) is understood to have suggested he recuse himself from the vote.
A source close to The Guardian rebutted any allegation of a conflict of interest, describing it as “tenuous at best”. Mr Olusoga has been contacted for comment.
Mr Olusoga is a Bafta-winning TV producer and presenter who is known for historical documentaries such as BBC Two’s A House Through Time.
He has also helmed a number of programmes exploring Britain’s colonial past, such as Britain’s Forgotten Slave Owners, and was awarded an OBE for services to history and community integration.
The broadcaster, who joined the Scott Trust board in 2018, has been at the forefront of The Guardian’s efforts to address its historical links to slavery. The publisher last year apologised and set up a £10m reparations fund following a three-year investigation into itself.
In an article last year, Mr Olusoga said the newspaper had an “unpayable debt”, adding that “any response will never be enough”.
The Guardian has found itself at the centre of a heated dispute over its plans to sell The Observer to Tortoise. Staff will go on strike for four days next month after the NUJ branded the deal a “betrayal” of the newspaper’s values.
Bosses are understood to have rubber-stamped the deal following a period of exclusive negotiations with Mr Harding.
However, the decision to go ahead with the sale will ultimately come down to the Scott Trust, which requires approval from at least 75pc of its members.
European press freedom organisations have written to the Scott Trust raising concerns about the impact of the sale on media pluralism in the UK and the Observer itself and asking for further information.
Ole Jacob Sunde, the Scott Trust chairman, is understood to have responded by insisting that the newspaper took its obligations seriously.
A spokesman for the NUJ said: “The NUJ is urging all members of the Scott Trust to recognise the opposition to the sale made clear by the strong ballot outcome and agree to pause the sale process to give other options proper consideration.”
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