The train company part-owned by the remain supporting businessman Sir Richard Branson is withdrawing the Daily Mail newspaper from their onboard shops over apparent concern over editorial positions, reports PR Week.
Staff at the train company were told of the decision last year in an internal memo. “Different viewpoints are often valuable, and it’s certainly true that we choose to take our news from different sources depending on our view of the world.
“Thousands of people choose to read the Daily Mail every day. But they will no longer be reading it courtesy of VT [Virgin Trains]. There’s been considerable concern raised by colleagues about the Mail’s editorial position on issues such as immigration, LGBT rights, and unemployment. We’ve decided that this paper is not compatible with the VT brand and our beliefs. We won’t be stocking the Daily Mail for sale or as a giveaway.”
The decision was enacted immediately, according to a company spokesman, who told PRWeek: “We regularly review the products we have on sale for customers onboard our trains, and after listening to feedback from our people we have decided that we will no longer stock copies of the Daily Mail on services on our west coast route.”
Virgin Trains, which runs the west coast rail franchise, is a separate company from Virgin Trains East Coast.
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