https://www.theguardian.com/busines...stop-carrying-the-daily-mail?CMP=share_btn_twThe Guardian said:
And guess who's unhappy about it
https://twitter.com/Nigel_FarageNigel Farage said:
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Branson overrules VTWC - Daily Mail once again to be available onboard
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And guess who's unhappy about it
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Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Nobody is banning anything, a private business have simply chosen not to sell a particular thing. Nothing stopping it being purchased elsewhere. If they blocked its website on the Wifi that would be a bit much (much as I hate it), though I doubt they would do that.
Mind you:
Anti Daily Mail sticker found on some trains, put there by passengers
Mind you:
Anti Daily Mail sticker found on some trains, put there by passengers
Indeed, they are choosing not to sell it. Many Liverpool based newsagents have chosen not to sell The Sun because it's unpopular locally but that doesn't mean the minority who do want a copy can't get hold of it.
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theblackwatch
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I find it quite ironic, but unsurprising, that Farage is going on about bans (when one hasn't occurred) solving nothing, yet he supported a ban on Muslim travel by Trump.
Personally, I do feel it's time the Mail was banned for inciting racial hatred.
Personally, I do feel it's time the Mail was banned for inciting racial hatred.
trash80
Established Member
Ironic considering the things he dislikes (like the burqa) he wants to ban.
AlterEgo
Veteran Member
The Mail don’t like gay rights and parity of esteem very much which would put them not too far from Souter.
Pointless stunt by Virgin. The Mail is a terrible paper but don’t think for a second this isn’t PR.
Pointless stunt by Virgin. The Mail is a terrible paper but don’t think for a second this isn’t PR.
gordonthemoron
Established Member
does anyone actually buy any of the papers sold in the Virgin shop?
Tetchytyke
Veteran Member
BA stopped carrying it because the Mail wanted to start charging for copies that were previously given to BA for free.
I bet the same thing is happening here, but Virgin are exploiting it as a way to divert attention from their shenanigans on East Coast and their double shenanigans at Virgin Healthcare.
I bet the same thing is happening here, but Virgin are exploiting it as a way to divert attention from their shenanigans on East Coast and their double shenanigans at Virgin Healthcare.
Highly unlikely, Branson is far too astute a businessman to take into account a very hypocritical lobbying organisation like Stop Funding Hate, he'd be calling them out hard for it.
I suspect Arctic Troll is much closer to the truth.
burneside
Member
This works both ways. When Paperchase was criticised for doing a promotional deal with the DM last year, and then issued a pathetic grovelling apology, I took it that, as a reader of the Mail, they would no longer want my custom. Since then Scribbler has benefited from the purchases I would have made at Paperchase. When businesses get involved in politics they should realise that they risk alienating a large part of their customer base.
Up_Tilt_390
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I didn't even realise that Virgin sold The Daily Mail on their trains. Then again I've only ever came across the Financial Times and The Times at a First Class Longue, so I don't expect it to be sold there. Virgin's reasoning is that the Daily Mail isn't compatible with it's brand beliefs. I don't really care, I've never bought the thing, and I never read it online either. It's one of only two mainstream papers that I know of that I just can't trust at all to tell me anything truthful. The Sun is even worse though, so I'm hoping Virgin aren't selling that either. Especially not on the Liverpool trains.
Strictly speaking, it wasn't a ban on Muslim travel, it was a ban on anybody travelling from a selection of Muslim-majority countries that were deemed to be 'linked to terrorism'. Any Muslim not from any of those countries could travel as usual for the most part. Don't get me wrong, it was still a stupid policy (I mean how could Saudi Arabia, a huge financial backer of terrorism, not be on that list?), and it's no surprise Farage would've supported it since even he didn't understand it himself. Bet even the Daily Mail bought into it as well just to get sales, I mean it's not exactly renowned for it's truth-telling.
Strictly speaking, it wasn't a ban on Muslim travel, it was a ban on anybody travelling from a selection of Muslim-majority countries that were deemed to be 'linked to terrorism'. Any Muslim not from any of those countries could travel as usual for the most part. Don't get me wrong, it was still a stupid policy (I mean how could Saudi Arabia, a huge financial backer of terrorism, not be on that list?), and it's no surprise Farage would've supported it since even he didn't understand it himself. Bet even the Daily Mail bought into it as well just to get sales, I mean it's not exactly renowned for it's truth-telling.
WatcherZero
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Announcement in January Aslef Journal from Virgin communications chief that they wernt stocking it due to the papers views on LGBT, Immigration and the unemployed. Possibly a bit of a PR own goal, spinning a commercial decision as good news. The official line is they were reducing the newspapers sold to the 3 biggest sellers to save shelf space (Times, Mirror and FT) and that only one copy of the Daily Mail was sold for every 4 trains operated. East Coast has apparently never stocked the paper.
Edgeley
Member
I suspect Virgin passengers (Remain-type business people, public sector managers, students etc) are not a key Daily Mail demographic.
Coming just after the East Coast bail-out, however, Branson's virtue posturing makes him even more obnoxious than usual.
Coming just after the East Coast bail-out, however, Branson's virtue posturing makes him even more obnoxious than usual.
They print almost nothing but lies, and this has been getting worse recently, and it's likely that as a result their popularity among VT customers has fallen. It's therefore only sensible that an unprofitable, unpopular product is no longer stocked.
thenorthern
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Just seen this.
I mean seriously? Trian firms are banning newspapers now because a couple of passengers don't like it? The Daily Mail is the second best selling newspaper if people don't like it then they shouldn't buy it however its not really fair on people like me who read The Daily Mail that I can't now buy The Daily Mail because some people don't like whats in it.
I mean seriously? Trian firms are banning newspapers now because a couple of passengers don't like it? The Daily Mail is the second best selling newspaper if people don't like it then they shouldn't buy it however its not really fair on people like me who read The Daily Mail that I can't now buy The Daily Mail because some people don't like whats in it.
I would expect that there are a lot more people than that who travel on their trains.
All the same, with many demographics, outright lies are deeply unpopular.
There is a small possiblity it could be blocked as I found that lots of sites are, including Vox, Vice, speed testers etc etc. I tested a few after finding those three didn't work and was surprised. Of course, that could have been an error, or it could have been something affecting only that train.
A Challenge
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People on here don't like the Daily Mail though, so they will probably agree with it, but I agree with your view that people (or in this case a newspaper) shouldn't be silenced because people don't like them. To be honest I think it should be stocking more papers, not less, as it says
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/jan/09/virgin-trains-to-stop-carrying-the-daily-mailThe Guardian said:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...iefs-compatible-richard-branson-a8149786.htmlThe Independent said:
Bantamzen
Established Member
It isn't banning The Mail though, just not selling it or giving it away. Market forces at work there, they didn't sell many so don't want to sell any more.
Up_Tilt_390
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There's already a thread on this topic here https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...n-virgin-trains-services.159150/#post-3280055
Also, if the train company can only sell one copy every four trains, it's their right to stop selling it. If something isn't profitable, you don't sell it. That's basic capitalism.
Also, if the train company can only sell one copy every four trains, it's their right to stop selling it. If something isn't profitable, you don't sell it. That's basic capitalism.
Bantamzen
Established Member
It isn't banning The Mail though, just not selling it or giving it away. Market forces at work there, they didn't sell many so don't want to sell any more.
Is it politics or morality? I'd expect my employer not to discriminate on grounds of race, sexuality, gender, etc. To me, it seems hypocritical for a business to stand for those beliefs of equality, then fund and profit from the very paper promoting hate and lies. You're free to read what you wish, but Virgin also have a right, like any company not to sell whatever product they wish.
thenorthern
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I personally think that Virgin Trains haven't gone about it the right way as if it wasn't selling enough copies as they claim then they should have done what most companies do and drop the product. My local Tesco recently stopped selling Coca-Cola Vanilla but the Tesco CEO didn't write an article about it.
Virgin Trains have essentially made a big deal about it saying "Its not compatible with our beliefs" essentially making something non-political a political thing.
Virgin Trains have essentially made a big deal about it saying "Its not compatible with our beliefs" essentially making something non-political a political thing.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
I haven't bought any paper in years. I presently subscribe to the Times iPad app, more because I like the app than the paper.
Bletchleyite
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More likely their utterly useless wi-fi just wasn't working again.
thenorthern
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I don't understand your point?
Up_Tilt_390
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I agree with you there. If it wasn't profitable, then not selling it was the simple answer. Making something political is just completely unnecessary. I don't doubt The Daily Mail wasn't compatible with their beliefs, but still it was a simple business decision that was made to sound trendy and progressive. Then again, nothing like a bit of publicity for Richard Branson and his brand. After all, someone had a train block their way of when they tried to film the Flying Scotsman, and because it was Virgin-branded (not operated though) Virgin Atlantic gave him return plane tickets to Atlanta to say sorry. Yes, we are sorry that the train timetables couldn't cater to your simple photograph that you could've taken elsewhere had you checked a detailed timetable.
Up_Tilt_390
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Lord Rothermere was a friend of Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler, and directed the Daily Mail's editorial stance towards them in the early 1930s. His 'Youth Triumphant' article praised the accomplishments of the Nazis and the accomplishments. It could be argued that it's not entirely far-fetched to suggest the Daily Mail has some Nazi sympathisers, though I think a lot of readers aren't like that personally. Nevertheless, the Mail isn't exactly renowned for progressive and liberal views, nor for any reliable truth-telling.
You can read a little bit more about it's support of fascism here. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daily_Mail#Support_of_fascism
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