Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have sparked outrage after they sent out late-night letters to several media organisations on Sunday night.
The former senior Royals wrote to multiple British tabloids, to say they will no longer engage with them whatsoever.
In the letter, the couple’s rep hit out at the organisations, accusing them of untruthful reporting, saying that it was “gravely concerning that an influential slice of the media” has printed “distorted, false or invasive” articles.
“There is a real human cost to this way of doing business and it affects every corner of society,” the letter added.
“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have watched people they know – as well as complete strangers – have their lives completely pulled apart for no good reason, other than the fact that salacious gossip boosts advertising revenue.”
The letter was sent to the editors of the Sun, the Daily Mail, the Daily Mirror and the Daily Express.
Their new “policy” means they will not respond to any media enquiries or give comments on any stories that could be set to publish.
The pair said that they were “not avoiding criticism” with this move, however now media organisations will have no opportunity to verify claims with the stars.
The late-night letter has sparked outrage among many, given that the world is currently in crisis because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Media professionals took to Twitter to vent their frustrations at the tone and meaning of the letter, and the timing of their announcement.
Harry and Meghan’s timing for these manifesto drops is in shocking bad taste. 16k dead and counting, the economy crumbling and most of us living in a seriously heightened state of anxiety and struggling to cope. They seem to have lost all sense of perspective
— Rebecca (@LittleMissBecca) April 20, 2020
Not the time for this
Harry and Meghan ‘tell tabloids they will never work with them again’ https://t.co/xfdn2nP1Do
— marianne ryan (@marianneryan15) April 20, 2020
Harry and Meghan have decided to boycott British newspapers. Can we just boycott them from now on?
— Get Brexit Done 101 (@101_get) April 20, 2020
Harry and Meghan pump out a self-serving statement telling journos what to do. Their areogance is astonishing. https://t.co/jKaeHqIuzp
— Tintin the Easter Worshipper (@TintIntoWorld) April 20, 2020
The letter comes ahead of a court hearing this week with Meghan bringing legal against the publisher of the Mail on Sunday over the publication of a letter written to the actress by her estranged father.
And although Meghan and Harry are cutting themselves off from certain media outlets, Meghan will do her first interview pos- Royal duties on Good Morning America this week – to promote her new Disney documentary Elephant.
Read the letter in full:
As The Duke and Duchess of Sussex now settle into the next chapter of their lives and no longer receive any publicly funded support, we are writing to set a new media relations policy, specifically as it pertains to your organisation.
Like you, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex believe that a free press is a cornerstone to any democracy— particularly in moments of crisis. At its best, this free press shines light on dark places, telling stories that would otherwise go untold, standing up for what’s right, challenging power, and holding those who abuse the system to account.
It has been said that journalism’s first obligation is to the truth. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex agree wholeheartedly.
It is gravely concerning that an influential slice of the media, over many years, has sought to insulate themselves from taking accountability for what they say or print—even when they know it to be distorted, false, or invasive beyond reason. When power is enjoyed without responsibility, the trust we all place in this much-needed industry is degraded.
There is a real human cost to this way of doing business and it affects every corner of society.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have watched people they know—as well as complete strangers—have their lives completely pulled apart for no good reason, other than the fact that salacious gossip boosts advertising revenue.
With that said, 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.
This policy is not about avoiding criticism. It’s not about shutting down public conversation or censoring accurate reporting. Media have every right to report on and indeed have an opinion 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.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are looking forward to working with journalists and media organisations all over the world, engaging with grassroots media, regional and local media, and young, up-and-coming journalists, to spotlight issues and causes that so desperately need acknowledging. And they look forward to doing whatever they can to help further opportunities for more diverse and underrepresented voices, who are needed now more than ever.
What they won’t do is offer themselves up as currency for an economy of click bait and distortion.
We are encouraged that this new approach will be heard and respected.”
On episode 40 of the Gosscast, we talk Matt Damon’s Irish isolation, celeb breakups and hookups, plus the latest Maura Higgins & Curtis Pritchard drama
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