Name: Newspaper editor defends Meghan and Prince Harry tabloid headlines - BBC News
Uploaded: 2021-03-09T18:50:52.000Z
Duration: 11 min 40 s
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Prince Harry has said racism from the tabloid press in this country that filtered into the rest of society was a large part of why he and his wife left the UK.

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He told Oprah Winfrey that the UK tabloid media is bigoted and creates a toxic environment of control and fear.

He said he thought the Prince of Wales had been forced to make peace with it.

Last night's interview on ITV, by the way, was watched by more than 11 million people here in the UK Let's talk now to Iain Murray, the executive director of the Society of Editors, an organization which is set up to fight to protect press freedoms.

Are some British tabloid newspapers bigoted?

And what we're seeing here is the tragic story of the family.

That war as we know and your heart goes out to the Duchess in particular, talking about mental health problems that's there.

But the accusation that Harry and they're gonna say that they left Britain in part because of racism towards them, the accusation that this was caused by sections of the British media who are racist I'm afraid, is just not true.

And it's not borne out by the evidence of the coverage.

Some Evidence Mr Murray Daily Star ran a headline asking whether Harry would be marrying into gangster royalty.

The mail on mail online had a headline, which declared, Megan was almost straight outta Compton.

I'm not completely with areas of their baby in California.

Gangster stereotype, black gangster stereotype.

Murray, do you think those two headlines are racist?

Or even if you're not going to let me even answer?

The questions were raised there basically saying, Look, here is a I hate to use the same rags to riches story, and it was it was the same with anyone that comes in from outside into the royal family, heart loyal or inability, uh, that they've raised up in that way.

But I think you've got to look at this whole thing in the context.

Is this saying that that the coverage that have been given to Megan in particular but to the Duchess, Duke and Duchess of Suspects than any perceived negative coverage that has come about and this is this follows a huge groundswell of positive coverage became when Megan was first started dating and then engaged and then married, Married to Prince Harry.

Amazing amount of positive coverage, which reflected the war the British people towards towards towards this couple.

And then there were some negative coverage that came in when the couple began to set out their stall.

I'm not gonna use the word preach and talk about things close to their heart, the environment, etcetera and questions being asked.

Are they living up to the ideals that they are putting forward to say that that negative, uh, sorry.

That's a that is racist and particularly targeted because Meghan is a woman of color.

I'm afraid that's not borne out by the truth.

You just have to look at the way the world family has been covered, covered for decades.

It's not as though the world family has been given an easy ride by the British in they and others to account, and you cannot say that the coverage of the investigations into Edward and so Harry and Megan were just talking about the coverage of themselves.

Can I ask you about those headlines again?

The star asked whether Harry would be marrying into gangster royalty mail.

Murray, you can continue talking over me, but I'm onto examples and say, Look, here's something that someone might point to say.

You told me the British tabloid press was not bigoted.

You're denying that those examples are racist.

And I'm asking, why are you denying that?

Well, I'm making plenty, Victoria, that what we're saying?

And I'm not defending individual things here and there.

When you say that someone might make one comment that I'm not saying whether those were bigoted or racist at all.

Let me as a society and get the chance to actually finish Victoria when you actually label someone as bigoted.

And actually, I'm not taking the whole thing in the context and saying, Look at the way that they have covered it.

I'm afraid that if you keep on looking, you will find that needle in the haystack.

But you just told me that the British press isn't racist.

And now you're saying if you keep on looking, you will find a racist needle in the haystack.

So let me ask you again, Are those headlines racist?

I'm not gonna stand to defend and say whether they are not why.

You know full well, because you origin is you've got to see the context.

Let me give you some context, then please things.

And I'm not saying all right, let me give you some context Then the headline which suggested that Meghan was almost straight out of Compton underneath says Prince Harry's new girl suit star Meghan Markle is from Crenshaw.

Crenshaw has endured 47 crimes in the past week, including murder.

Gangs, including the Bloods, count the neighborhood as their territory.

Mark als social worker Mom Dora Ragland lives in the rundown area.

And the actresses aunt is in a nearby gang afflicted Inglewood.

It's straightforward rags to riches story about saying factually.

If it is factually correct, factually correct that it is, that's that's the background to make a mark like I don't know whether it's factually correct or not.

In 2016, a report by the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance found that hate speech amongst traditional media, particularly tabloid newspapers in this country, continues to be a problem.

Do I not see what is or do I not see that?

Do I agree with their findings that I have not read that reporter recently?

I'm not going to say that I completely agree with that.

With their findings, I need to look further into it, but it's what they're actually basing this on.

Do you think there's a difference between someone like yourself, a white man, society of editors contemplating racism on an intellectual level and black people experiencing it on a daily basis?

I would say that I'm not bringing my race or background into this.

I would say that if I'm asked whether the sexual last sections of the British media, the tabloid press, are racist and say no, they are not.

And some extremely decent journalists, any of which you probably know who work on the papers being pointed out, be horrified, shocked and disappointed to have that leveled against the A report by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism in 2016 found that just 6% of journalists across UK newsrooms don't identify as white.

There's a problem throughout the whole of the industry, And do you think that could lead to potentially racist coverage?

The industry realizes and recognizes that has a challenge, and it's taking steps.

And the society of editors has been working on that and has been supporting and as an initiative that is working with others on that matter.

No one is pretending that that is not good enough.

Do you think the lack of diversity in newsrooms might contribute to racist coverage on occasion?

I know you're trying to trap me into saying something.

I'm not, because if I say that it's a case of our therefore we're admitting that there is there is that that we do know about admitting it's about facing up to issues that we've got in the mainstream media in this country.

What issues that we don't have a greater diversity with the newsrooms?

And that it could potentially lead to racist coverage on occasion.