UK Government Investigates Private Equity Firm for Threats to Daily Telegraph's Editorial Independence
A report has emerged that Gerry Cardinale, the boss of US private equity group RedBird Capital, which is bidding for the Daily Telegraph, has been referred to the UK government for potentially breaching rules protecting the newspaper's editorial independence. According to sources, Cardinale allegedly threatened to "go to war" with the Telegraph's newsroom in response to inquiries by journalists into his firm's bid.
The comments were made after Charles Moore, the Telegraph's former editor, disclosed that he had warned him about supposed media briefings aimed at replacing Chris Evans as editor. However, just last week, Cardinale published a column reassuring readers that RedBird would never compromise the editorial independence of the Telegraph.
The UK government has introduced legislation requiring parties to "take all reasonable steps to retain key staff" within the Telegraph Media Group and inform the secretary of state about any material developments relating to the business. The referral by the Telegraph's directors raises concerns about potential breaches of this legislation, particularly given Cardinale's firm's foreign interests.
The saga surrounding the Telegraph's acquisition has been marked by controversy since the Barclay family lost control in 2023 due to unpaid debts. RedBird Capital took over as owner but was forced to put the papers up for sale after a law blocked foreign states or associated individuals from owning newspaper assets in the UK. The firm is now selling its stake back to RedBird Capital, which has interests including a stake in Liverpool football club.
Critics have questioned whether RedBird Capital's involvement in the Telegraph could lead to undue influence over the newspaper's editorial direction. In response, Gerry Cardinale said his firm was committed to upholding journalistic integrity and establishing an independent advisory board to ensure this.
A report has emerged that Gerry Cardinale, the boss of US private equity group RedBird Capital, which is bidding for the Daily Telegraph, has been referred to the UK government for potentially breaching rules protecting the newspaper's editorial independence. According to sources, Cardinale allegedly threatened to "go to war" with the Telegraph's newsroom in response to inquiries by journalists into his firm's bid.
The comments were made after Charles Moore, the Telegraph's former editor, disclosed that he had warned him about supposed media briefings aimed at replacing Chris Evans as editor. However, just last week, Cardinale published a column reassuring readers that RedBird would never compromise the editorial independence of the Telegraph.
The UK government has introduced legislation requiring parties to "take all reasonable steps to retain key staff" within the Telegraph Media Group and inform the secretary of state about any material developments relating to the business. The referral by the Telegraph's directors raises concerns about potential breaches of this legislation, particularly given Cardinale's firm's foreign interests.
The saga surrounding the Telegraph's acquisition has been marked by controversy since the Barclay family lost control in 2023 due to unpaid debts. RedBird Capital took over as owner but was forced to put the papers up for sale after a law blocked foreign states or associated individuals from owning newspaper assets in the UK. The firm is now selling its stake back to RedBird Capital, which has interests including a stake in Liverpool football club.
Critics have questioned whether RedBird Capital's involvement in the Telegraph could lead to undue influence over the newspaper's editorial direction. In response, Gerry Cardinale said his firm was committed to upholding journalistic integrity and establishing an independent advisory board to ensure this.
. it's so stressful dealing with someone who wants to threaten you just because you're asking questions about their business deal 
. i can imagine how scary that must be for them. and now they've got the government involved too... it's like, what are we even doing here? 
we need to make sure these journalists can do their job without fear of retribution or intimidation. we need a free press to hold those in power accountable! 
they just wanna make $$$ & increase their stakes. it's all about the Benjamins for RedBird Capital, not about journalism. 
come on guys, what a joke! the gov't is supposed to be all about protecting press freedom yet they're literally investigating RedBird Capital for trying to buy a newspaper? it's like they're worried RedBird will somehow magically turn the Telegraph into Fox News or something lol no pressure 
. and let's not forget, Cardinale just wrote a column saying he wouldn't compromise editorial independence... like anyone believes that 
. we all know how this ends - the Barclay family gets their money back, RedBird swoops in, and suddenly the Telegraph is all about 'libertarian' values 
i'm literally shook by this news!! so Gerry Cardinale from RedBird Capital is being investigated by the UK gov for allegedly threatening the Telegraph's editorial independence?? that's super sketchy tbh, like what kinda business is that? 
and also lol @ Charles Moore telling him to "go to war" 
i mean, I don't condone journalist harassment or anything but come on, that's just nasty. anyway, this whole thing just makes me wanna support the Telegraph even more 
And let's be real, what does an "advisory board" even do? Sounds like just another way to keep an eye on the press 
. It's like, what exactly are we going to get if RedBird Capital takes over? More "independent" reporting or just another way to shape public opinion to suit their interests 
? I'm all for a good shake-up in the media landscape, but not at the expense of press freedom and the integrity of our journalism 
That's some serious bullying tactics right there 
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. The UK government needs to take action ASAP 
to protect the Telegraph's independence and ensure that any new owners don't try to compromise their values.
. We need to keep an eye on this one 
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#JournalisticIntegrityMatters #UKMediaInvestigation