Broadsheets-The case of The Guardian

The Guardian is a national broadsheet newspaper with a rich and colourful history. The paper is perceived as liberal, middle-class, regional, and metropolitan. The newspaper originated in Manchester, where it was founded by John Edward Taylor in 1821. The Manchester Guardian, the broadsheet’s name at the time, was highly influential during the great reform movements of the nineteenth century. Still today, The Guardian continues offering a crucial and independent forum for those in the country who enjoy debate. The Guardian Media Group, which owns the newspaper, boasts a level of continuity that no other national daily newspaper can equal.

The first edition was published on the 5th May 1821. At this time The Manchester Guardian was a weekly newspaper, which was published only on Saturdays. The Stamp Duty on newspapers forced the price up so high that it was uneconomic to publish more frequently. The newspaper was allowed to be published daily in 1855, when the abolition of Stamp Duty on newspapers permitted a consequent reduction in cover price.

The most famous editor- Charles Prestwick Scott- made the newspaper achieve national and international recognition. The editor held the post for 57 years starting from 1872. When Scott was in charge, the paper's moderate editorial line became more radical, supporting Gladstone when the Liberals split in 1886, and challenging the Second Boer War against popular opinion. Scott bought The Guardian in 1907- after the death of Taylor’s son.



The ownership of the paper was relocated to the Scott Trust (named after John Russell Scott) in June 1936. Scott was the first chairman of the Trust, the British organisation owning The Guardian Media Group and The Manchester Guardian newspaper. The relocation ensured the paper's independence and it developed an eccentric style. It was then well-known for its moralising and its detached attitude to its finances. Traditionally, The Guardian earned a national reputation and the respect of the Left during the Spanish Civil War by being affiliated with the centrist Liberal Party, and with a northern circulation base.

In 1959 the paper decided to remove "Manchester" from its title, becoming simply The Guardian. In 1964, the editor of the paper moved it to London. This occurrence caused the loss of some of the paper’s regional schedules. However, it continued to be heavily subsidised by sales of the less high-brow, however much more profitable, Manchester Evening News. Shortly afterwards financial problems came to a head.

Finance was one of the reasons for The Guardian’s move into London. The Guardian’s position dramatically improved due to the investment in printing and the completion of a move to improved offices in London in 1976. It was also supported by an expansion programme that included the revamping of the Guardian Weekly to include content from both the Washington Post and Le Monde. In 70s and early 80s the political climate became increasingly polarised and the Guardian's position as the voice of the left remained unchallenged.