Landmark Media Investments - Directors confirm talks

In yesterday’s statement to staff, Landmark Media Investment Ltd, owners and publishers of this newspaper confirmed for the first time that they are in advanced negotiations to conclude the sale of the group to an “experienced company operating in the industry”.

This follows months of speculation by commentators, online’s keyboard warriors, radio chat show hosts looking for minutes to fill, analysts, various self-selecting media “experts” (who doesn’t count themselves as an authority on media these days?) and, among them, some serious journalists.

The opportunities for informed comment are highly circumscribed with directors under a vow of silence because of strict confidential and contractual privacy provisions.

In addition, as the statement from chairman Tom Crosbie and CEO Tom Murphy emphasised, in transactions of this nature there is no certainty of a successful outcome with matters

to be negotiated and contracts to be finalised.

The Irish Examiner has a long and honourable record of explaining difficult stories to its readers and supporters openly and honestly and when the opportunity arises to say something factual rather than speculative you may be assured that we shall do so.