Will the Manchester Guardian now have to cancel ITSELF in row over slavery links to Founder?

Will the Guardian now have to cancel ITSELF in row over slavery links sparked by planned podcast?

• The ever-woke paper launched editorial project on its founder's links to slavery
• Three people accused The Guardian of 'institutional racism, editorial whiteness'

For decades it has been the holier-than-thou voice of the sanctimonious Left.

But now the ever-woke Guardian finds itself at the centre of a race row.

A planned podcast by the newspaper about its historic connections to the slave trade has led to a race complaint from three producers involved in the series, it was reported.

The paper is said to have been working on the podcast as part of a wider editorial project about its founder John Edward Taylor's links to slavery.

But according to entertainment industry website Deadline, managers at the media company were last year informed by three producers on the show that they had concerns.

The Guardian has been accused by the three people of 'institutional racism, editorial whiteness and ignorance'. The concerns of the producers were circulated to other members of the UK audio industry on Monday in an email obtained and published by Deadline.

John Edward Taylor, founder of the Guardian

The person who sent the email was described as a 'rising star in the audio world'.

In the message, they suggest the company was trying to 'whitewash history' on the podcast and accused The Guardian of lacking the 'desire' to 'face and interrogate its own historic role'. They said their concerns had been 'dismissed as 'trauma' and 'baggage' rather than informed expertise and analysis' and that their formal complaint was 'ignored' and 'minimized'.

They added: 'The institution is now looking for other producers to finish our work...The outcome of this project is a huge indictment of the paper. The irony of dealing with institutional racism, editorial whiteness and ignorance on a project about the legacies of slavery hasn't been lost on us.'

It is understood black journalists at The Guardian hold senior roles on the project.

A spokesman for the newspaper said: 'The Guardian has been working on a significant editorial project relating to its own history which is to be published soon. The project is being led by a diverse team of experienced and respected editors.

A Guardian newspaper company logo stands on display in the window of the Kings Place office development

'We are concerned that some former colleagues and contributors have not had a good experience working with us, but we are disappointed they have chosen to write a partial reflection of their time at The Guardian.'

They added: 'We acted immediately to respond to the individuals, including by offering a mediation process, which took place with a mediator chosen by the individuals themselves.

'The project is largely complete and will not pull any punches. It will be published in the next few months.'

The Manchester Guardian was founded in 1821 by John Edward Taylor, who was reportedly the son of a cotton merchant.

In 2020 Alex Graham, then chairman of The Scott Trust, the sole shareholder of Guardian Media Group, said there was no evidence Taylor was involved 'in any direct way in the slave trade' but some of Taylor and his funders' family businesses would almost certainly have traded with cotton plantations that used enslaved labour.'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11681719/Will-Guardian-cancel-row-slavery-links-sparked-planned-podcast.html