Media freedom at the heart of Telegraph’s Christmas carol service
The rector of St Bride’s, the journalists’ church, has emphasised the “need for media freedom” amid an attempt by Abu Dhabi to take control of The Telegraph.
At The Telegraph’s annual Christmas carol service, the Rev Canon Dr Alison Joyce also warned of the “very significant difference” between “political opinion and political control” ahead of any change in ownership.
RedBird IMI, which is an Abu Dhabi-backed fund, is trying to take ownership of The Telegraph in a sale that has alarmed senior Conservative politicians, including Lord Hague and Sir Iain Duncan Smith, both former leaders of the party.
On Monday, David Davis, a former Cabinet minister, voiced his concern that the Government would be able to “do nothing to protect” The Telegraph’s independence if the deal went ahead.
In her address at the service at St Bride’s Church on Fleet Street, the Rev Joyce said: “The quest for peace which is so much in our thoughts at Christmas has to be accompanied by a commitment to truth and integrity which is why our need for quality journalism and media freedom has never been more acute in every sphere of life.”
She added: “There is a very significant difference between political opinion and political control and we lose sight of that at our peril.”
The Rev Joyce said she was taking this “opportunity to thank all of you who work for The Telegraph for all that you do” and added: “Long may you continue to do it.”
‘Our troubled world’
She praised the work of journalists working in conflict zones, stressing the “critical importance” of reporting in Gaza and Israel.
“As the journalists’ church, we have never been more acutely aware of the costly nature of your calling and the critical importance of what you do and how you do it.
“The list of names of the journalists who have lost their lives in the Israel-Gaza conflict is so long that we now have six plaques on our journalists’ altar in order to fit in all the names. And more are losing their lives each day. And that of course is in just one area in our troubled world.”
The Rev Joyce made her remarks at the annual carol service that also highlights the work done by charities chosen for this year’s Telegraph Christmas appeal. The service was attended by members of staff and readers. Many have expressed concerns about the potential sale to the Abu Dhabi-backed investment fund. Most of the funds are in the overall control of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, vice president of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and owner of Manchester City football club.
Press freedom
Lord Hague, who served as foreign secretary as well as a former Tory party leader, has described the proposed takeover as “disturbing” and called for it to “be prevented”. Mr Davis questioned the wisdom of the UAE being in control of a national newspaper that has “massive influence”, while Lord Moore, a Tory peer and former editor of The Daily Telegraph, has condemned the effective “nationalisation of a British national newspaper … by a country which does not have press freedom”.
Lucy Frazer, the Culture Secretary, has issued a Public Interest Intervention Notice which has triggered investigations into the proposed takeover by the media regulator Ofcom as well as the Competition and Markets Authority. Both bodies must report back by Jan 26.
On Monday, the Barclays family regained ownership of The Telegraph and the Spectator magazine after paying back £1.2 billion in debts that were owed to Lloyds banking group.
The repayment was funded by a loan from RedBird IMI that now plans to take control of The Telegraph through a complex swap of debt for equity. Under a “hold separate” order also issued by Ms Frazer, ownership of The Telegraph cannot be transferred to RedBird IMI until the completion of the public interest investigation. In the meantime, The Telegraph and Spectator continue to be overseen by a trio of independent directors.
Many of our readers have raised concerns over the potential sale of Telegraph Media Group to the Abu Dhabi-linked Redbird IMI. While Ofcom carries out its investigation we are inviting the submission of comments on the process. Email salecomments@telegraph.co.uk to have your say.
