Political

The Evening Standard is George Osborne’s Twitter account

Donald Trump’s Twitter account has been a masterclass in how a politician can build a huge direct audience which not only cuts out the media from a politician talking to voters but also repeatedly sets the agenda for that debilitated media too.

But direct audiences don’t just have to come with a twee bird logo. Enter stage left, George Osborne and the Evening Standard.

There’s much else to be said about the appointment, such as why so many of those who were so strident that a Royal Chater would be unwarranted interference by politicians in newspaper freedom as so muted on seeing a serving politician directly running a newspaper.

But there’s also a lesson in here for politicians and would-be politicians at all levels: the advantages of having a direct audience, whether it’s a councillor with an effective email list, an MP with a newspaper or a President with a Twitter account.

One response to “The Evening Standard is George Osborne’s Twitter account”

  1. Perhaps Osborne’s Evening Standard job is a sign that the Parliament is no longer a place where opposition can hold the government to account and Remainers (but also centrists – as both major parties have moved to the extreme ends of their idelogical ranges) seek other ways in which to influence the process of Brexit and politics in general, or, at least make their voice heard. The Evening Standard under Max Hastings’s editorship in the 90s was a platform for an eclectic mixture of views, but mostly those that Fleet Street editors (or proprietors) would not allow in their papers. I wish Osborne good luck.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

All comments and data you submit with them will be handled in line with the privacy and moderation policies.