The Observer is planning to develop a new slate of audio programming this autumn.
The 233 year old newspaper, once described by George Orwell as “the enemy of nonsense”, was recently acquired from the Guardian by media organisation Tortoise. Loved by podcast listeners for their high quality investigative audio series, the new ownership plans to launch podcasts into untapped genres where the Observer already has a strong presence.
Existing Tortoise shows have also been rehoused under the Observer brand including the popular Slow Newscast, Sensemaker and News Meeting podcasts. Tortoise Investigates, perhaps the company’s most well-known strand which brought us Sweet Bobby, Hoaxed, Dr Anti-vax and Lucky Boy, will keep the Tortoise name alive.
The organisation is keen to keep the “slow news” ethos that brought Tortoise such success in the audio world. Through both audio and the Observer website, editor Basia Cummings plans to focus on in-depth investigative journalism over time-sensitive breaking news.
