The Sark Newspaper is a controversial small publication, distributed free to residents of the island of

Sark Sark (Sercquiais: or , ) is an island in the southwestern English Channel, off the coast of Normandy, and part of the archipelago of the Channel Islands. It is a self-governing British Crown Dependencies, Crown Dependency, with its own set o ...

, and published online. It is edited by Kevin Delaney, who worked for the Barclay brothers, David Rowat Barclay and Frederick Hugh Barclay, publishing magnates. According to

BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...

the newspaper has "close ties to Sark Estate Management", owned by the Barclay brothers. Kevin Delaney had been a manager for Sark Estate Management until March 2015. In January 2014 ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'' described the newspaper contributing to a poisonous climate. The BBC reported that tensions had risen to such a pitch that

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

Ministry of Justice officials were monitoring the situation. In November 2014

reported that police in nearby

Guernsey Guernsey ( ; Guernésiais: ''Guernési''; ) is the second-largest island in the Channel Islands, located west of the Cotentin Peninsula, Normandy. It is the largest island in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, which includes five other inhabited isl ...

had received complaints about the newspaper from about fifty Sark residents—ten percent of the Island's population. The BBC quoted Roseanne Byrnes, a member of the

Chief Pleas Sark ( Sercquiais: or , ) is an island in the southwestern English Channel, off the coast of Normandy, and part of the archipelago of the Channel Islands. It is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, with its own set of laws based on Nor ...

, the island's legislature, who said the newspaper was "blighting my life and the lives of my family." According to newspapers in

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

, Denis Sullivan, formerly a member of Ireland's police service, the

Garda Síochána (; meaning "the Guardian(s) of the Peace") is the national police and security service of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is more commonly referred to as the Gardaí (; "Guardians") or "the Guards". The service is headed by the Garda Commissio ...

, sued Delaney for defamation, in the Irish justice system. The ''

Middle East Eye ''Middle East Eye'' (MEE) is a United Kingdom-based media website and channel that primarily focuses on news related to the Middle East, North Africa, and the broader Muslim world. The ownership of the organisation is undisclosed. Some sources ...

'' characterized the newspaper as "almost exclusively filled with content that attacks the Sark parliament". However, in October and November 2014, the newspaper published criticisms of the government of

Qatar Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in West Asia. It occupies the Geography of Qatar, Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it shares Qatar–Saudi Arabia border, its sole land b ...

at the same time newspapers officially run by the Barclay brothers were also attacking Qatar, on the same issues. The ''Middle East Eye'' pointed out that the Barclay brothers were in the midst of a financial dispute with Qatar.

References

{{Reflist, refs= {{cite news , url = https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/former-garda-to-sue-newspaper-for-alleged-defamation-34337705.html , title = Former garda to sue newspaper for alleged defamation , publisher =

Irish Independent The ''Irish Independent'' is an Irish daily newspaper A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray backgrou ...

, author = Ray Managh , date = 2016-01-05 , access-date = 2016-12-14 , quote = He said a law firm in Guernsey disputed the purported jurisdiction of the Irish courts but had agreed, without prejudice to the matter of jurisdiction, to accept service of the proceedings by fax and e-mail. {{cite news , url = https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/barclay-brothers-telegraph-campaign-against-qatar-and-battle-three-london-hotels-367590621 , title = Was a London property dispute behind a Telegraph campaign against Qatar? , publisher =

, author = Rori Donaghy , date = 2015-06-15 , access-date = 2016-12-13 , quote = At the same time as the anti-Qatar articles were published by the Sark Newsletter, a campaign was run by the Telegraph newspapers that targeted the Gulf state's alleged involvement in supporting terrorist groups across the Middle East. --> {{cite news , url = https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-guernsey-25743171 , title = Tension on Sark monitored by UK government , publisher =

, date = 2014-01-15 , location =

, language = en , access-date = 2016-12-13 , quote = The MPs said conseillers - the island's MPs - complained that they are "subjected to threats of legal action against them as individuals and to abusive and intimidating attacks in the Sark Newsletter", edited by the Barclay brothers' manager on the island. {{cite news , url = https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/a-poisonous-paradise-mps-told-of-tensions-on-isle-of-sark-9062696.html , title = A ‘poisonous’ paradise: MPs warn of tensions on isle of Sark , publisher =

The Independent (UK) ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publishe ...

, author = Jonathan Brown , date = 2014-01-15 , access-date = 2016-12-13 , quote = Sark Newsletter editor Kevin Delaney, managing director of the Barclays’ businesses on Sark – who has lived there since 2007 – told The Independent that it was time for the UK government to intervene. {{cite news , url = https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-guernsey-30143996 , title = Sark islanders claim harassment from newspaper , publisher =

, date = 2014-11-21 , location =

, access-date = 2016-12-13 , quote = A Guernsey Police spokesman said: "I can confirm we have received about 50 complaints from Sark residents... these are being reviewed." {{cite news , url = https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-guernsey-31838071 , title = Kevin Delaney leaves Barclay Brothers' Sark firm , publisher =

, date = 2015-03-11 , access-date = 2016-12-13 , quote = It is understood Mr Delaney will remain as editor of the Sark Newspaper, which has been accused of harassing islanders. {{cite news , url = https://www.itv.com/news/channel/update/2015-03-11/exclusive-kevin-delaney-quits-his-sark-property-job/ , title = Exclusive: Kevin Delaney quits his Sark property job , publisher =

ITV News ITV News is the branding of news programmes on the British news television channel of ITV (TV network), ITV. ITV has a long tradition of television news. ITN, Independent Television News (ITN) was founded to provide news bulletins for the netwo ...

, date = 2015-03-11 , access-date = 2016-12-13 , quote = Kevin Delaney ran Sark Estate Management, the company which looks after the billionaire Barclay brothers' property portfolio in the island. {{cite news , url = https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/high-court/ex-garda-allowed-to-take-newspaper-defamation-case-1.2485804 , title = Ex-garda allowed to take newspaper defamation case , publisher =

Irish Times ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It was launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is Ireland's leading n ...

, date = 2016-01-05 , access-date = 2016-12-13 , quote = Frank Callinan SC, counsel for Mr O’Sullivan, told the court his client intended suing a Kevin Delaney, editor of the Sark Newspaper and Sark Newsletter for remarks made about him both online and in print. {{cite news , url = https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/nov/20/sark-feud-newspaper-harassment , title = Police called in over ‘media harassment’ on Sark , publisher =

The Guardian (UK) ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

, author = Steven Morris , date = 2014-11-20 , access-date = 2016-12-12 {{cite news , url = https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-guernsey-36805313 , title = Seigneur 'disappointed' at criticism of Sark government , publisher =

, date = 2016-07-15 , quote = His son has said he is fully supportive of Sark's government, Chief Pleas. Sark David and Frederick Barclay Political newspapers published in the United Kingdom