The London-based owner of The Guardian, a national news organisation owned by a trust whose job is to protect its independence.
Guardian Media Group, usually called GMG, is the company that owns The Guardian, one of Britain's best-known national news brands. The Guardian publishes in print and online, with long investigations, daily news, comment, features, culture and sport. Its story begins in 1821, when the Manchester Guardian was founded in Manchester. C. P. Scott, who edited it for 57 years, bought it in 1907, and it took the name The Guardian in 1959 as it moved its base to London. Over the years the group has also owned regional newspapers, radio stations and a business events company, though it has since sold several of these.
The group's purpose is unusual. It has one shareholder, the Scott Trust, and the Trust's stated purpose is "to secure the financial and editorial independence of The Guardian in perpetuity". In its own words, The Guardian describes its work as fearless, investigative journalism that gives voice to people without power and holds those in power to account. It also says its ownership keeps it free from political and commercial influence, and that more than half of its revenue comes directly from readers. It uses a membership model rather than a paywall so its journalism stays open to everyone.
In the UK, the head office is at Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU, close to King's Cross. Guardian News & Media Limited publishes the newspaper and the website theguardian.com. The group had 1,241 employees in 2023 according to a public reference source. The Observer, the Sunday sister paper bought in 1993, has been sold to Tortoise Media, with the new owner relaunching it in 2025. The Guardian's reporting is read by millions of people in the UK each month.
Behind the headlines is a mix of people. Reporters and editors work alongside photographers, video producers, designers, data journalists, software engineers, product managers, marketing and membership teams, finance and legal staff and people who look after readers. Many of the paper's best-known stories, such as the 2011 phone-hacking investigation, the 2013 surveillance revelations and the 2016 Panama Papers, needed teams across several of these skills working together. The company describes its values as independence and courageous, relentless reporting, and these are its own claims.
If you are interested, a good way to start is to read the paper and spot which jobs sit behind each page, from the newsdesk to the app. Because the company employs people in so many different functions, you do not have to be a journalist to be part of it. Check the Guardian's own website for current information.
Website: www.theguardian.com
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