Even if you don't care about Britain's most revered family, Prince Harry's claims deserve attention.
Have you heard enough about Harry and Meghan? Could you not care less about the whole kerfuffle? |
Well the Times columnist Zeynep Tufekci is not one to follow celebrity gossip or the latest royal tittle-tattle. But she thinks there's something important to understand about the accusations Prince Harry makes in his new book, "Spare," and in the Netflix documentary he and his wife made. |
Their story is not just a family melodrama. As Harry watched the yearslong campaign of hatred and even racism the British tabloids unleashed on Meghan, who is biracial, he understood that these vile publications were not wholly independent actors. |
They had the acquiescence, if not the cooperation, of his father, stepmother and brother. |
Zeynep shows that establishing camaraderie with malignant voices of the press and leaking damaging information against one family member in exchange for good coverage of another have been common practices for years. |
"In other words," Zeynep writes, "it appears that Britain's most revered institution, funded by tens of millions in taxpayer funds annually, plays ball with one of its most revolting institutions." |
And, she says, given how those tabloids play a major role in key events, including Brexit, where they also stoked outrage with unhinged lies and racism, even people uninterested in royal drama might want to take another look at why this media environment needs reforming. |
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