Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have recently announced they will not engage with four UK tabloids.
The couple said that they accept that media has ‘every right’ to report on the high-profile ex-royals and they claim the policy is not to avoid criticism.
Their decision left Buckingham Palace courtiers shocked as one Palace insider said: ”We have been left stunned. They have not taken any of our advice.”
According to Daily Mail, people who are close to the Queen got furious as the Duke and Duchess took the decision to boycott Britain’s most-popular newspapers on the eve of her birthday.
The couple released a lengthy statement announcing they will no longer engage with The Sun, the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday, The Express and the Mirror.
Ian Murray who is one of the editors said that Meghan and Harry’s decision was a ”clear attempt to undermine certain sections of the UK media who often ask uncomfortable questions.”
”Although the duke and duchess say they support a free press, there is no escaping their actions here amount to censorship and they are setting an unfortunate example.”
”By appearing to dictate which media they will work with and which they will ignore they, no doubt unintentionally, give succour to the rich and powerful everywhere to use their example as an excuse to attack the media when it suits them.”
He also said that several outlets have covered a ‘huge amount’ of positive news about the couple and suggested that ‘the answer should never be to shun individual titles and their millions of readers.’
In the statement, Harry and Meghan clearly said they will adopt ‘zero engagement’ policy as they don’t like the “style of reporting” of four tabloids. They feel the British press has treated Meghan unfairly as they keep criticizing her for her lifestyle.
The couple told the editors of Britain’s tabloids: ”Please note that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will not be engaging with your outlet. There will be no corroboration and zero engagement.”
”This is also a policy being instated for their communications team, in order to protect that team from the side of the industry that readers never see. Media have every right to report on The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, good or bad. But it can’t be based on a lie. They also want to be very clear: this is not in any way a blanket policy for all media.”
A political broadcaster Andrew Neil reacted to the statement of the couple as he tweeted, ”As the world grapples with Covid-19, do they really think people care what media they deal with? Their solipsism is amazing. Can’t they just consign themselves to oblivion for a while?”
Former royal press secretary Dickie Arbiter said the couple’s ‘timing seems horribly crass.
’ He added, ”In current circumstances, people are having to make sacrifices, they are dealing with losing loved ones without having the opportunity to say goodbye to them…. this is not what people are worrying about.”
”[Harry] seems to be very ill-advised by all these Hollywood types. To issue a blanket non-engagement about any story is actually very self-defeating. And it won’t improve their press.”
According to Daily Mail, one royal source slammed couple’s decision saying ‘incredibly thin-skinned’ couple had ‘lost sight of the bigger picture’, and their decision was ‘foolish and, some might say, undemocratic.’
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