Trinity Mirror’s £200m deal to buy the Express and Star newspapers is to be investigated by media regulator Ofcom over issues including plurality and the editorial independence of Richard Desmond’s titles.
The company’s shareholders have voted to approve the deal to add the Daily Express, Sunday Express, Daily Star and Daily Star Sunday newspapers, as well as magazines including celebrity title OK!, to its national titles the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Sunday People.
However, Matt Hancock, the culture secretary, has called in Ofcom to investigate whether there are concerns that the takeover could impact freedom of expression and opinion and editorial decision-making at the Express and Star newspapers.
He has also ordered the Ofcom to examine whether the deal, which will result in the combined company becoming the UK’s second-largest national newspaper group, owning nine of 20 titles, raises issues of a sufficient plurality of views in the market.
“I have written to the parties today confirming my decision to issue a public interest intervention notice (PIIN) on both grounds,” Hancock said.
Hancock, who wields the power to block the deal or force a sell-off of some titles, has given Ofcom until 31 May to complete its investigation. He has also asked the Competition Markets Authority to report back on any wider competition issues the deal may raise by the end of the month.
“I will then consider whether or not to refer the merger for a more detailed investigation, or whether to accept undertakings-in-lieu of such a reference,” Hancock added.
Simon Fox, the Trinity Mirror chief executive, has repeatedly pledged that his Labour-supporting Daily and Sunday Mirror will keep Desmond’s Brexit-supporting titles editorially independent. “The Mirror is not going to go rightwing and the Express is not going to go leftwing,” he said. “They will absolutely all have editorial independence.”
As the deal completed, however, the editors of the Daily Express and Daily Star resigned. Trinity Mirror immediately announced the appointment of two of its executives – Sunday Mirror and Sunday People editor Gary Jones, and Daily Mirror associate editor Jon Clark – as replacements.
Trinity Mirror maintains that it believes the deal does not raise issues of a reduction in media plurality. “Each newspaper brand will continue with its current editorial positioning, and that there will not be any detrimental impact on competition as a result of the acquisition,” the company said.
