Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1977-1985 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
2 files
Context area
Archival history
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Correspondence and memos to, from and concerning O'Brien.
Subjects covered include: personnel matters including O'Brien's appointment, conditions of his role as editor-in-chief, readers' complaints about his appointment, expansion of the Observer by 18 columns to include international politics under the headings 'New Frontiers' and 'One World', suggestions for articles and the appointment of foreign correspondents, opinions on the role of the management committee and proper channels of communication, relationship between Magazine and newspaper, coverage of general election in 1978, contents of O'Brien's editorials, system for monitoring and improvement of style in Observer, criticism of IRA article, publishing of readers' letters, his departure to America and readers' letters concerned with the way O'Brien departed from the Observer.
Also includes: Press release 'Conor Cruise O'Brien joins the Observer as editor-in-chief' (17 December 1977), article from the Observer Magazine (2 September 1973) 'Conor Cruise O'Brien: Irishman Extraordinaire', 'Outlook from West to East' Ewart-Briggs Memorial Lecture at Trinity College Dublin (17 January 1978), 'Threatened Freedoms' address by O'Brien to the Advertising Association London (22 May 1978), 'Government and Broadcasting' lecture by Dr. Conor Cruise O'Brien to the Independent Broadcasting Authority (28 March 1979), and other scripts for speeches.
Correspondents include: Donald Trelford, Brian Nicholson, Roger Harrison, Conor Cruise O'Brien, Colin Legum.
Creator: The Observer Limited; Editor's Office; Donald Trelford
Accruals
System of arrangement
Chronological
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Some material concerning financial affairs closed
Conditions governing reproduction
Copyright: Mostly Guardian News & Media
Language of material
Script of material
Access Status
Open(part)
Closed until
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Trelford; Donald Gilchrist (1937-2023); journalist, broadcaster, and editor of The Observer (Subject)
- O'Brien; Conor Cruise (1917-2008); historian, politician, diplomat, journalist (Subject)
- Harrison; Desmond Roger Wingate (1933-); managing director and chief executive of The Observer (Subject)
- Nicholson; Brian Thomas Graves (1930-); journalist and managing director of the Observer (Subject)