What Happened to The Guardian?
The Guardian, a leading British daily newspaper, has successfully transitioned into a globally-focused, digital-first news organization, sustained by a unique reader-funded model under the ownership of the Scott Trust. As of 2026, it continues to report record revenues driven by digital contributions and international expansion, while investing heavily in visual, audio, and investigative journalism.
Quick Answer
The Guardian is a prominent global news organization, owned by the Scott Trust, which ensures its editorial and financial independence. It has successfully pivoted to a digital-first, reader-funded model, achieving record revenues of £282 million in the 2025/26 financial year, largely propelled by digital reader contributions and significant growth in its US operations. The Guardian continues to expand its global reach and invest in innovative digital journalism, including video and audio content, while maintaining its commitment to investigative reporting and covering critical issues like the climate crisis.
📊Key Facts
📅Complete Timeline14 events
Founded as The Manchester Guardian
The newspaper was established in Manchester, laying the foundation for its long history in journalism.
Scott Trust Established
The Scott Trust was created to secure the financial and editorial independence of The Guardian in perpetuity, preventing commercial or political interference.
Renamed The Guardian and Moved to London
The newspaper officially changed its name from The Manchester Guardian to The Guardian and relocated its main operations to London.
Announced Digital-First Strategy and US Launch
Guardian News & Media declared its plan to become a digital-first organization, shifting focus and investment towards digital platforms, and launched its US digital operation.
Launched Australian Digital Edition
The Guardian expanded its global digital presence by launching a dedicated Australian edition.
Banned Fossil Fuel Advertising
The Guardian became the first major global news organization to ban advertising from all fossil-fuel extractive companies, aligning with its climate crisis reporting.
Agreement to Sell The Observer to Tortoise Media
The Scott Trust and Guardian Media Group signed a deal to sell The Observer to Tortoise Media.
Sale of The Observer Completed
The sale of The Observer to Tortoise Media became effective, allowing The Guardian to focus on its core brand.
Published 2024/25 Annual Report
Guardian Media Group reported total revenues of £275.9 million and 1.3 million digital recurring supporters, highlighting strong growth in digital reader revenue and international markets.
Editor Outlines Multi-Year Transformation Plan
Editor-in-chief Katharine Viner revealed a multi-year transformation program, 'Project Berger,' funded by the Scott Trust, to invest in more visual, digital, global, and experimental journalism.
Outlined Approach to Generative AI
The Guardian's AI working group developed a set of Guardian-wide AI principles to address both the risks and opportunities of generative AI.
Announced Creation of 55 New Digital/Visual Jobs
As part of its transformation project, The Guardian announced plans to create around 55 new permanent positions across its UK, US, and Australian offices, focusing on audio and visual journalism.
Delivered Biggest, Most Global World Cup Coverage
The Guardian provided its most extensive and globally focused coverage for the 2026 men's World Cup.
Published 2025/26 Statutory Accounts with Record Revenues
Guardian Media Group reported record revenues of £282 million for its news operations, with digital reader revenue reaching £126 million and 1.4 million recurring digital supporters.
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🔍Deep Dive Analysis
The Guardian, originally founded as The Manchester Guardian in 1821, has evolved from a regional newspaper into a globally recognized liberal voice, distinguished by its commitment to independent, investigative journalism. Its unique ownership structure, the Scott Trust, established in 1936 and later converted into a limited company in 2008, is central to its identity, safeguarding its editorial freedom from commercial or political interference and reinvesting all profits back into journalism.
A pivotal shift occurred in 2011 when Guardian News & Media declared its intention to become a 'digital-first' organization, prioritizing online content and expanding its digital presence globally, including launching US and Australian digital editions in 2011 and 2013, respectively. This strategy was a direct response to declining print circulation and advertising revenues across the media industry. Instead of implementing a hard paywall, The Guardian pioneered a voluntary contributions model, asking readers to financially support its open journalism. This model has proven highly successful, becoming the largest revenue stream for the organization.
The financial results for the 2024/25 financial year, published in September 2025, showed total revenues increasing to £275.9 million, with digital reader revenues growing by 21.7% to £107.3 million and the number of digital recurring supporters reaching 1.3 million. The Guardian's international expansion also paid off, with non-UK revenue making up over 38% of the total, and US operations seeing a 22.5% increase in revenue to £55.5 million. A significant development in April 2025 was the sale of its sister paper, The Observer, to Tortoise Media, a move that impacted print revenue but allowed for a sharper focus on the core Guardian brand.
As of September 2026, The Guardian's financial health continues to strengthen. The Guardian Media Group published its 2025/26 statutory accounts, reporting record revenues of £282 million for its news operations, a 2% increase from the previous year. Digital reader revenue surged by 17% to £126 million, and the number of digital recurring supporters grew to 1.4 million, with over 500,000 based in the US. The adjusted cash outflow for the operating business decreased to £17 million, reflecting revenue growth and careful cost management.
Looking ahead, The Guardian is actively implementing a multi-year transformation program, internally known as 'Project Berger,' which began in April 2026. This initiative involves creating dozens of new permanent positions across its UK, US, and Australian offices, with a focus on expanding audio and visual journalism, including the establishment of 'Guardian Studios' for video-first content. The organization aims to be more 'visual, digital, global, and experimental' to adapt to evolving audience behaviors and the challenges posed by new technologies like AI. The Guardian remains committed to its core mission of impactful investigative journalism, covering major global events and critical issues such as the climate crisis, which it banned fossil fuel advertising for in 2020.
What If...?
Explore alternate histories. What if The Guardian made different choices?