LONDON: Nine human rights and freedom of expression organisations have demanded the UK government investigate The Telegraph newspaper’s sale to US investment group RedBird Capital over concerns about Chinese influence.
An open letter to UK media minister Lisa Nandy cited “RedBird Capital’s ties to China” as threatening “media pluralism, transparency, and information integrity in the UK”.
The letter highlighted RedBird Capital chair John Thornton’s position on the advisory council of China Investment Corporation, the country’s largest sovereign wealth fund.
RedBird Capital agreed in May to purchase Telegraph Media Group for £500 million ($678 million), including the 170-year-old newspaper’s print and online operations.
This development adds complexity to The Telegraph’s ownership saga, which previously saw UK government intervention over concerns about foreign press influence.
US-Emirati consortium RedBird IMI, which includes RedBird Capital, initially secured a deal for Telegraph Media Group in late 2023.
The previous UK government forced a rapid resale due to worries about Abu Dhabi’s press censorship record potentially impacting freedom of speech.
“Pending robust investigations, the (new) planned merger should be placed on hold,“ stated the NGOs, which include Article 19 and Free Tibet.
The groups argued there are “reasonable grounds to suspect the Telegraph acquisition by RedBird Capital raises both public interest and potential foreign media influence concerns”.
RedBird Capital Partners strongly denied allegations of Chinese influence in the acquisition.
“There is no Chinese involvement or influence in RedBird Capital’s proposed acquisition of the Telegraph,“ a company spokesperson told AFP.
The spokesperson added that after two years of regulatory delays, “it is now time to close this acquisition and finally position The Telegraph for growth”.
The UK government had not issued a response at the time of reporting. – AFP
