Two men illustrated the air of indifference to the newspaper's plight. One started to outline the reasons why he would miss the paper, but hesitated and admitted "To be honest, I'll say I'd miss it but I haven't bought it for two years."
Another said he would not miss it, first because he gets his content on the internet, and second because it is pretty similar to the Guardian or the Telegraph and "at the end of the day one less [newspaper] is not going to make me cry".
There was a range of opinions on either side, with another three middle-aged people saying it would be a shame to lose The Observer's contribution to Sunday press diversity, investigative journalism and arts coverage, but no sentimentality at all from younger women who did not read the paper.
But as GMG and other newspaper groups contend with falling circulations and ad revenues they might find some reassurance in the enthusiasm for Sunday papers in general that those interviewed have.
Asked what they looked for in a Sunday newspaper people gave a range of answers from gossip to world news, "a comprehensive summary of the week", proper journalism "that isn't just recycled press clippings" and National Geographic-style articles.
As in our video, for each person who spurns print for the internet there may also be someone who buys "a whole load of papers" on Sundays, from the News of the World to the Sunday Times and The Observer, and does nothing but "read and eat".
On Sunday a group of entertainers and broadcasters expressed their concern over possible closure of the Observer by the Guardian Media Group in a letter to .
More on Brand Republic
.jpg)
.jpg)