PR Disasters Chapter 15

[FenellaFeldman]

The saga continues

Matt Weissler was treated appallingly, as all whistleblowers are. But he got substantial compensation, which is a measure of how badly he was treated. I was very happy for him.

"The BBC paid graphic designer and whistleblower Matt Wiessler (also spelled Weissler) a substantial financial settlement in October 2021. While the exact final figure remains confidential, reports from major outlets including The Telegraph and The Times indicate the payout was in the region of (\pounds750,000). 1, 2]
Key details regarding the compensation and his treatment:
The Reason for Payout: Wiessler was commissioned by Martin Bashir to mock up fake bank statements in 1995, unaware they would be used to secure Bashir's famous Panorama interview with Princess Diana. When he realized what had happened and reported his concerns, the BBC essentially blacklisted him and made him the "fall guy". 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
The Settlement: The payout followed the publication of the Dyson Report, which found the BBC guilty of a "serious breach" of producer guidelines and a subsequent cover-up. The compensation was provided for loss of earnings and damage to his career. 1, 2, 3, 4]
Apology: Alongside the financial settlement, Wiessler also received a formal apology from the BBC and met directly with current Director-General Tim Davie to clear the air. 1]"

Because so many people in this country seem to get away with a lot.

While Bashir's actions were undoubtedly reprehensible I don't think they influenced Diana in the profound manner that's since been accepted.

I think and always have that she was gagging for both a chance to put her side of the story out and revenge and saw a credible platform to do it. She went on to say she stood by her words.

I don't condone Bashir's actions in any way but I do think he's been scapegoated in the revisionist construction of the St. Diana narrative.

CathyorClaire
I think and always have that she was gagging for both a chance to put her side of the story out and revenge and saw a credible platform to do it. She went on to say she stood by her words.

Very much agree with this.

Can someone remind me - was the Baroness Bruck twitter poster account one that was bought by Sussex PR?

Posting horrid stuff this evening.

And a hairbrush!

Yes. Used to be pro royal then did a 180 over night a few years back. Don’t think it’s ever been confirmed the name was bought by the Sussexes though, they would of course deny any connection to it. Being triggered by Catherine’s hospital visit today, are they?

Yes indeed.

If that’s a picture taken by a professional photographer I’d be asking for my money back. Harry looks very unwell and Meghan looks jaundiced.

It was a bizarre thing to buy that monicker, if that’s what the Sussex camp did. All the very anti H&M posts of the previous occupant are still available to see, and they are far wittier/far more intelligent/much more sensical than the current output.

I bet the Wales are fully aware of the devious things H&M do to encourage the online campaign against them, but I bet KC is utterly clueless that in my opinion, they are the puppet masters behind it all, I don’t think he has any idea that they could be behind any of the squad and their revolting behaviour, he is a technophobe who doesn’t even have a mobile let alone how these hate campaigns work, not sure his MIGS would be that clued up either.

I'm not buying the concealing their faces argument . I think there is enough that if you were in the environs you could recognise those children. Also , there is no reason whatsoever H&M need to release photographs of their children. None , apart from backing up M's happy family influencer thing. They are private citizens - the world does not need a birthday photoshoot - or indeed 2 if you count the Disney joint birthday photos or the many others just because, eg Meghan in the closet with Mama's little helper or the Easter egg hunt or the picking fruit in the garden , or or or. There are loads of photos M has put out about those children , and I would just say why ? just why? These children are private citizens and too young to decide for themselves what photographs / videos of them are splashed across the world. The Cloonys , eg , don't do it.

Just admit it M you're desperate for attention and branding. Those children are not in the direct line of succession ( by which I mean W's family) No-one needs to see those children, at all. Ever. Be decent enough to let them grow up out of the public eye. You have that chance.

Exactly, Harry looks like he woke up in a skip. Meghan forgot to iron her trousers and Lillie’s white dress has been through the dark wash. Bunch of scruffs.

I have a feeling MI5 monitor this stuff for actual threats, are well aware of this sort of activity being aimed at the current and future heads of state, and know where it is coming from. The RF have to keep their powder dry though, otherwise there would be another massive scandal the RF can do without right now. Easy enough to blame it entirely on crazy pleb fans living in a basement somewhere.

Been down a bit of a Reddit rabbit hole, plus found some archived previous twitter threads going back to 2020. It's certainly an about turn, if Meghan didn't buy the account then someone else with an anti monarchy agenda did.

I agree with @BigWillyLittleTodger William/the Wales will be well aware. Probably had Stella Rimington out of retirement to keep track, as she was sat behind them at the jubilee service.

It'll all catch up with them one day.

I schedule posts for the time zone I’m targeting my content at, it’s just practical

MI5 yes for serious threats and of course KC would be informed about them but that’s not what I am alluding to, I’m talking about H&M’s online cronies who hide behind their screens doing their masters dirty work, the lower level online hate campaigns, I doubt Charles is aware that Meghan sends the most prolific posters “care packages” with handwritten notes for example, that type of thing would be completely alien to him, it’s a different world and one he doesn’t personally partake in or understand to any degree I suspect, I don’t think he grasps what his son and daughter in law are capable of and the depths they will sink to in their hatred and jealousy of the Wales family.

I wonder what the Spencer siblings think of Harry’s claims that Meghan is practically Diana reincarnated.
They are very protective over the memory of Diana and I’m sure Harry fully expected to get access to the Spencer archives which will be bursting with stuff as Charles had kept all of his notes from meeting Bashir before the interview was even arranged -that’s showing that everything even pre death would have been filed away….

I don’t know. I would hope the lines of communication between William and Charles are such that the former makes it clear to the latter exactly what his darling boy and the wife are up to via their online supporters. Charles must have had his eyes opened wide by the “Where’s Kate?” nastiness, driven by Sussex online support, which he must have been aware of because it was picked up by the global press.

I don't think KC3 is necessarily unaware - I suspect he is aware of many things but finds it necessary to put them out of his mind to have some peace.

He may prefer not to use a mobile phone but has an awareness of technology - witness his speech on the potential and dangers of AI which he gave at the Bletchley summit (and then handed a copy to the head of NVidia when presenting him with the Elizabeth Prize for engineering last year).

He might be aware of the hate campaigns but I doubt he believes his darling boy and his godawful wife are behind it, or maybe I should say, he doesn’t want to believe they are behind it.

Would he have any choice but to know they are behind it if that’s what he’s being told in intelligence briefings and by his eldest son? If the rumour about the Sussexes wearing hidden microphones and taking unauthorised photos has any truth to it, Charles will know they are not to be trusted under any circumstances, and pose a security threat, which will include their online support network; and he’s always been aware of and hugely bothered by his own critics, many of whom rank amongst the SS. I just think there’s a difference between being aware and wary, and actually doing anything about it. I see parallels with the RF and government being aware of the nefarious activities of Edward VIII, but choosing to contain/handle/tolerate him rather than expose him - the exposure was left for the historians many years after the event.

There was a really quick turnaround of editions.

My mum worked in a newsagents and was exhausted that day from having to move so many different versions of the papers about and serve so many people.

I’m going to be completely honest here! , I’m 51 , I remember Diana death , I was at work, I thought it was sad , I immediately moved on , she wasn’t an a friend or family member, I thought the behaviour of the public odd and unseemly, I felt more upset ( if you can call it that) when Alan Rickman died! 🤷‍♀️

2016 - when both Bowie and then Victoria Wood died I was very upset.

Diana it was more of a shock because she was so young and it was a shocking accident - and then the public reaction went bonkers.