Daily Telegraph launches ‘unprecedented’ email marketing intervention urging readers to vote Tory
The Daily Telegraph has embarked on a last-ditch email marketing campaign to convince its readers (and those on its mailing list) to vote Conservative.
In addition to the pro-Tory front page published today (Thursday 7 May), the newspaper emailed its leading article, written by editor Chris Evans, showing an overwhelming support for the Conservative party - casting aside the illusion of impartiality at the publication.
The email asked: “Do we continue under the Conservatives with the open, enterprise-led economic approach that has underpinned our prosperity for nearly 40 years or do we revert to an old-style, 'government-knows-best' culture championed by the most left-wing Labour leader for a generation?”
It concluded: “The Daily Telegraph urges its readers to vote Conservative."
The Telegraph is sending out an email pleading for its readers to vote Conservative pic.twitter.com/kwcvYAcrz6
— Ned Donovan (@Ned_Donovan) May 7, 2015
The letter was sent to those who had opted in to “receive marketing messages by email from Telegraph Media Group”.
The move was criticised by some social media users:
I just received an email from editor of the Daily Telegraph urging me to vote conservative. Whatever happened to a free & impartial press?
— Alexia Inge (@AlexiaInge) May 7, 2015
Email from Telegraph Towers: "Daily Telegraph urges its readers to vote Conservative" A fact of which I'm sure they were previously unaware.
— Stephen Tall (@stephentall) May 7, 2015
All @Telegraph bulletin subscribers have reportedly received an email urging them to vote Tory. Last minute panic from the party machine?
— Hannah Fearn (@hannahfearn) May 7, 2015
Absolutely amazed by that Telegraph email to its mailing-list subscribers. Pathetic even by its own recent standards.
— alastair horne (@pressfuturist) May 7, 2015