The Press & The Royals: a discussion

[Whaeanui]

As we were just having a great discussion on this topic I’m going to try again to continue it on a thread of its own. A previous thread highlighted two particularly prolific ‘royal reporters’, but the same is true for all. They often manufacture stories to create divisions between the women in the family, more often than the men. The public seem to feed off this and none of the family get treated very well except the monarch. So do we think it is possible for the royal family to stay relevant and in the publics mind without their unhealthy relationship with the media? Can social media replace this? What do you think they can do to make positive changes that would reflect an understanding of the mental health challenges the media intrusion results in? Also their role in charities that deal with mental health and misogyny, mistreatment of women etc could be impacted by this too. Thoughts?
Please do not derail this thread by discussing your personal dislike of particular members or if they deserve it. I would like a discussion on how the royal family could change the relationship with the press.

Just on the PM front - I think the picture this weekend, the William revelation and all the Rebekah Brooks stuff that Bylines are releasing are giving me this increasing sense of horror about the press and the media and their absolute power especially in the UK. It’s like no one can escape them - which is good - you need a powerful press to hold truth to power but what we’re seeing more and more is that this is not what the press is actually doing and they seem more interested in consolidating and aligning themselves with that power.

giving me this increasing sense of horror about the press and the media and their absolute power especially in the UK. It’s like no one can escape them

oh I agree. They can’t. It’s really concerning. If we remember that the hacking involved thousands of ordinary people like us, many victims of crimes, it really is deeply worrying that people involved in that activity are still in the industry.

Thank you. I was wondering if it was only me.

Not just in the industry, but a lot got promoted aka Ms Brooks. At this point I'd be happier to trust the bloody Mafia, at least they have a code 😂

Yes. I've been reading the bylines articles too. And you put it well -- I have also been feeling an increasing sense of horror.

@BelleHathor ah yes Ms Brooks, my DH calls her a soulless person. Just the worst of a truly awful bunch of people. I will forever be amazed she didn’t go to prison.

Andy Coulson is doing well despite prison:

According to company accounts, the one-time Downing Street aide’s new outfit Coulson Partners Limited – for which Coulson is listed as the sole director and owner of 100 per cent of shares – declared total equity of £496,000 at the end of 2021. It pulled in more than a million last year, less £541,000 owed to creditors. The firm’s glossy website promises ‘Strategic advice that moves the dial’ and ‘unambiguous advice from professionals who’ve been poacher, gamekeeper, and game.’ Well, as a former journalist turned spin doctor, Andy would know all about that.
Sadly though, Coulson’s ‘founder’ bio makes no mention of his own little brush with the law. His company has also been bolstered by the arrival of Jon Steafel, another former Fleet Street exec who knows a thing or two about crisis comms, given his by Alastair Campbell on Newsnight in 2013. And that’s not the only journalistic reunion for Coulson, who last month wrote a Times column for his former News UK employers, calling for Boris Johnson to show ‘honour and decency’ and resign. Talk about a redemption arc.

Totally agree!

It’s horrifying that Leveson 2 was quietly shelved.

It’s more than deeply concerning that the right wing press has such a stranglehold on UK society and has such power that not only is it reporting events, it is often driving the political narrative to the point where democracy is challenged.

It’s shocking that tabloid publishers and owners have accrued such strength, money and power that hardly anyone dare stand up to them. Hats off to those that do eg Harry, Hugh Grant, Doreen Lawrence.

It’s shocking that the right wing media is such a malign influence in the UK today that mischief makers and disruptors like Farage and Johnson - who are entirely without moral values - are allowed to gain influence and power purely for personal gain.

And all of this happened while we were sleeping … shame on us 😢

Oh that clip of Campbell I didn’t intend to include sorry! Can’t stand him either 😂

@Whaeanui Yup, IMHO she's someone who knows exactly where all the bodies are buried, so is somewhat protected.

The only heartening thing is that daily sales of papers have fallen significantly, so the power that they wield is reduced.

Doesn’t that just mean that they are being read online though Belle?

I don’t think they make as much money online, and I’m not sure the readership is as large that way

This picture is from 2011, taken at an event hosted by William where he is said to have admonished Murdoch and Brooks for hacking his phone.

They look suitably admonished!

Gosh. Imagine having to chat to people that listened in to your calls. Apparently Morgan was aware of and possibly listened to the Charles & Camilla tapes too.

Yes, just like photos of political summits where it's all smiles for the cameras and arses are roundly kicked behind the scenes.

@MrsMaxDeWinter

is Jessica fletcher on here 😀😀 🕵️‍♀️ 🔍

Wow, so absolutely conclusive of nothing

Harry is finding the burden of proof in court is a little higher than this

Yes, but that's not the same as it was before in terms of reach and revenue.

Even as teenagers we used to buy/read our parents print newspapers, which obviously influenced us. Today I believe only 13% of 12-15 year old do the same.

Online consumption is different, it relies more on clickbait and the quality of journalism has fallen to cater for a society with a lower attention span.

The photograph was taken at the Sun's military awards ceremony in 2009, hence the 'Help for Heroes' wrist bands.

Here's a link to the full article from The Times (with share token).

@Howsimplywonderful so you are on Murdoch’s side in this then?

@Whaeanui

Of course not, but if a poster is going to try to smear William, they’re going to have to do a better job than copying and pasting something they must have found on Twitter without checking it’s source properly .

Then how are posters better than the gutter press they claim to despise

as a proper news editor would say - ‘check your sources people’

The timeline of emails when the Queen's secretary couldn't get a decent response from Murdoch's executives is two years long. The last email exchange saying the Queen is bringing in the lawyers is May 2018.

Makes Harry's reasons for delay look stronger, you'd think? NGN executives saying they did intend to get to it, but oh so busy.

If the Queen couldn't get a fair response after 2 years of requesting it, what chance would the rest of us have?

@Howsimplywonderful so are you saying @MrsMaxDeWinter is similar to the gutter press then? Seems like you’re taking things a bit far. The reports of the event as another poster showed, were that he did in fact ask them about hacking at the event. Who knows, but he was aware of what they had done then, yes? And he’s smiling and shaking their hands. It’s not a smear! What hyperbole. Nobody here is writing or publishing for a major newspaper so no need for any comparisons, they just seem silly.

That's not how I read the comment.

More just that a single picture doesn't prove them being "friends", or that William didn't complain to them about their actions (plus she got the date and event wrong of the photo).

Plus the point that, legally speaking, proving your case in court is much more difficult to do.

I'm not saying that The Sun aren't guilty as f*ck as per Harry's (& the other litigants complaints - i totally believe they are), but legally proving it is very very hard. Harry's airing of personal grievances (while completely understandable) may not meet the burden of proof required in law.

Leveson 2 is sorely needed, and soon.

@Morestrangerthings yes, they intended to get to it? It’s not a priority?!?! Harry is saying also, you settled William’s claim filed the same year and yet are trying to strike out mine for being too late. That’s where the comparison to William comes into his argument.

More just that a single picture doesn't prove them being "friends", or that William didn't complain to them about their actions (plus she got the date and event wrong of the photo).

The posting of it wasn’t to prove friendship, we are all talking about how cosy it all is and how they are friends with journalists ( like PM ) who listen in to calls, hack phones etc and then the family have to ‘socialise’ with them.