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Have The Media Got It Right When Reporting The Queen’s Death?

Emma McAndrew

Emma McAndrew

On 8th September 2022, the most anticipated and planned-for news story in modern-day Britain emerged – the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. As expected, this historical happening dominated news outlets and coverage commenced from the moment The Queen was announced to be severely unwell. But after years of preparation for what action to take following her death, should this undoubtedly momentous event have pushed the reporting of other stories aside as much as it did?

The Queen’s Death

All eyes were firmly fixed on Balmoral Castle for most of Thursday 8th September, as The Queen was reported to be under medical attention in the early hours of the afternoon. Cameras captured footage of royal family members rushing to the Aberdeen residence, where Her Majesty eventually passed, as journalists swarmed her residences to ensure they would not miss the projected announcement of her death.

Breaking news broadcasts replaced the regular scheduling of television programmes and continued to report and reflect on Her Majesty’s legacy for most of the night and in subsequent days.

“where was the coverage surrounding other important news that was planned to be reported on that day?”

Of course, the passing of The Queen is news that should rightfully be passed to the public and deserves significant attention, given the changes that are to be made following the death of our longest-serving monarch. But where was the coverage surrounding other important news that was planned to be reported on that day?

“Insignificant Given The Gravity Of The Situation”

A top news story in the UK, up until the death of Her Majesty The Queen, has been the perturbing cost of living crisis. For months, families have been filled with worry regarding how bills are to be paid following a vast increase in pricing, yet this topic was significantly less visible in reporting on the night of 8th September.

BBC’s Clive Myrie even went as far to seemingly say that an austere increase in payments is “of course insignificant now given the gravity of the situation,” when opening a link to Damian Grammaticas’ live report from Buckingham Palace.

 

Grammaticas substituted the term “insignificant” with “overshadowed” (which is perhaps a more accurate word choice), but Myrie’s comment is a clear display of insensitivity and arguably ignorance.

Myrie has since tweeted to defend his comments, claiming that his language was targeted towards Liz Truss’ speech (which was addressing the future of energy bills, therefore still of great importance to those who are struggling, no?). He does, however, acknowledge that he used “a poor choice of word, but that’s live broadcasting.”

“disappointing to see from well experienced reporters”

The Queen’s death eclipsing other news to be the top story is understandable, as this moment is universally understood to be a breaking news piece. Whether we are personally mourning The Queen or not, her passing is certainly recognised as a huge historic event that has been spoken about for years.

However, to dismiss the importance of the energy crisis, whether in a slight broadcasting blip or not, is disappointing to see from well-experienced reporters. It presents an excellent example of how perceived social hierarchies influence the organisation and presentation of mainstream news, with stories that impact those nearing the bottom of the ladder swept aside.

Chris Kaba Tribute Walk

Furthermore, it cannot be assumed that the royals, and much of the UK admittedly, are the only family in mourning in present times. Whilst The Queen deserves respect for her record-breaking reign and her passing has evidently touched the lives of many, ordinary people too are grieving in their own personal lives after suffering from the loss of loved ones.

Families like Chris Kaba’s, a black man who died in hospital on Tuesday after being shot by a Metropolitan police officer for driving a car he was not registered to drive. A homicide investigation has since been opened and Kaba’s family are fighting for the officer in question to be suspended through ongoing enquiries. Much of the public too have shown anger towards his death, which is widely believed to have been racially motivated, inspiring the organisation of a protest march that took place the weekend after The Queen’s passing.

This tribute was mistakenly narrated to be dedicated to The Queen when Sky News aired live footage which captured crowds maneuvering through central London’s Trafalgar Square. Presenter Sarah-Jane Mee falsely told viewers: “They’ll work their way up the Mall, very slowly, meeting new friends along the way, talking about their journey here, their memories of The Queen, and their good wishes for the new King.”

Not only is this dialogue insolent towards Chris Kaba and his family, but it also risks weakening trust between the media and the public by delivering information based on assumption. There is no truth or evidence in what Mee said to accompany the footage of the march, demonstrating poor journalism that lacks honesty, accuracy, and truthfulness. It is no wonder that people feel as if they can’t trust the media following events like these.

“nothing short of shameful”

Assuming that all current mourning is dedicated to The Queen parades a mark of disrespect towards all other grieving families. Yes, we should recognise that a great deal of current mourning is in remembrance of Her Majesty, but to misreport an important protest that is honouring another human is nothing short of shameful. Chris Kaba’s march holds huge significance to not only Kaba’s family, but the whole of the black community, and the Black Lives Matter Movement. This misrepresentation risked dwarfing a hugely important event.

Following years of training concerning how best to report deaths, The Queen’s in particular, it would be thought that ensuring all facts and footage were accurate would be a high priority.

Arrests

The mass of attention paid towards the death of The Queen, by the media and much of the public, has appeared to silence other kinds of narratives and has ignited discussions regarding the right to free speech in this country.

Her Majesty’s coffin made its way down Edinburgh’s Royal Mile on Monday, and whilst many stood in silence to show their respects, this silence was broken by a heckler who was subsequently arrested. The 22-year-old was handcuffed by police “in connection with a breach of the peace” after shouting remarks targeted toward Prince Andrew.

Similar situations have occurred in London, as police intervened with a protestor holding a sign reading “NOT MY KING.” The hashtag of the phrase has also been trending on Twitter following Charles III’s proclamation.

https://twitter.com/standardnews/status/1569270901685862403

 

Multiple other arrests have repeatedly demonstrated a lack of tolerance towards anti-royalists, who have reportedly faced criminal action when speaking out against the monarchy. Symon Hill took to Twitter to tell his story of how he was arrested for vocally questioning “Who elected him?” during The King’s proclamation, with police allegedly not making him aware of what he was being arrested for at the time.

Whilst heckling the hearse of an old woman as it drives down the street is disrespectful, it cannot be ignored that the right to voice an opinion is something that cannot be stripped away. Whether those opinions are agreed with or not, we shouldn’t be taught that it is wrong to voice them, which is the message these arrests send out. It seems an old-fashioned move to make to attempt to silence those speaking out against the monarchy – one which could result in citizens being fearful to express their beliefs.

Privacy

Moreover, it is perhaps worth sparing thought for the immense hurt and pain that the royal family, and others close to The Queen, must be feeling following her passing. It is one thing to come to terms with the loss of your mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, friend, but to be grieving so publicly must be difficult regardless of any preparation.

Plans have of course been in place for years, spelling out how the media is to respond to the death of The Queen, but has it ever been considered that the family should be allowed some privacy during this time?

“feels intrusive and immoral”

The Queen devoted her life to serving the country publicly, so it could be argued that she would perhaps have wanted and had agreed to such public tribute. But there’s something that feels intrusive and immoral about throwing a camera in the faces of a freshly grieving family.

Reporting the death of a monarch is a new experience for many of those working in media, given the seven-decade span that Her Majesty reigned. Although their work should be credited for high-speed reporting and tireless efforts to deliver such news, perhaps a more balanced and considerate approach would help to heighten the confidence towards journalists from the public.

Featured image courtesy of Matthew Browne via Unsplash. Image license found here. No changes have been made to this image. 

Emma is one of the Deputy Editors here at Empoword Journalism and a final year journalism student at Edinburgh Napier University. When she isn't studying or editing articles, Emma enjoys keeping active at the gym, going on walks, journaling and reading books.

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