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Editor lands election exclusive with Prime Minister on first day in job

An editor landed an early election exclusive by having the Prime Minister write for his newspaper on his first day in the job.

Frank O’Donnell took over as editorial director at The Scotsman, Edinburgh Evening News and Scotland on Sunday yesterday after the departure of Ian Stewart.

A column by Theresa May appeared in today’s edition of The Scotsman following her announcement of a proposed General Election on 8 June.

Mrs May told the paper’s readers a vote for the Scottish Conservatives would send a “clear message” of opposition to the SNP’s “divisive” plans for a second independence vote.

SE Scotsman

However, The Scotsman itself has pledged not to back any party through the forthcoming campaign.

Said Frank: “The Scotsman will play a key role in the forthcoming general election by bringing readers a Scottish perspective on all the important issues, incisive analysis, explainers and graphics.”

SE YP

Fellow Johnston Press daily the Yorkshire Post dedicated its first five pages today to reaction, analysis and explainers, including Mrs May’s speech in full.

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron’s message to Yorkshire also features along with a full-drop leader promising not tell readers what to think, but to “make them think”.

SE Hartlepool

Elsewhere, the Hartlepool Mail splashed on a special election poll of readers which showed Labour slightly ahead of the Tories on its patch.

Hartlepool’s Labour MP Iain Wright has since announced this morning that he will not be standing as a candidate.

SE Worcester

The Worcester News splashed on a vox pop of readers’ reactions to Mrs May’s announcement, accompanied by the headline ‘We’re Stunned’.

A poll run by the News online yesterday revealed 33pc were ‘fed up’ at the prospect of another General Election, with 22pc stating they had no strong feelings either way and 45pc welcoming it.

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  • April 19, 2017 at 11:05 am
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    Good reaction to the days breaking news here by publishers getting the angle just right.
    With evening papers printed in time for the same days breakfast the days of late breaking news being splashed are all but gone ( apart from the two superb evening papers featured on HTFP yesterday)
    how the other dailies covered events the next day is interesting, many, like these here have gone for a local view with cox pops and comment whilst others realising they’ve missed the boat have merely raked over the events and given a summary, all things readers could have and probably works have already seen elsewhere ,further adding to the fact that nowadays a local daily newspaper has little credibility in coverage of national events.
    Nice work all of the above and hopefully showing the others how to do it.

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