Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have severed all contact with four U.K. tabloids. The couple made the announcement on Sunday in a letter to the editors of the Daily Mail, the Sun, the Express and the Mirror, saying they would no longer deal with the papers or their reporters.
The blistering letter said the couple refused to be used as “clickbait.”
“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will not be engaging with your outlet,” the letter said. “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 will never see.”
Related Story: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Deliver Free Meals to Needy in LA
The couple also accused the Sun and Mirror of hacking their phones to get scoops.
“This policy is not about avoiding criticism,” they wrote in the letter. “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.”
NEW: In a Sunday night letter, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have written to editors of the four major British tabloids – The Sun, Daily Express, Daily Mirror and Daily Mail – promising never to work with them again, barring all access into the future. The letter in full: pic.twitter.com/V4CWc8jKu5
— Mark Di Stefano (@MarkDiStef) April 19, 2020
Harry and Meghan said it’s time for the tabloids to take responsibility for their reporting.
“It is gravely concerning that an influential slice of 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,” they said.
The executive director of the U.K.’s Society of Editors fired back by accusing the couple of “censorship.”
“Although the Duke and Duchess say they support a free press and all it stands for, there is no escaping their actions here amount to censorship and they are setting an unfortunate example,” the society’s Executive Director Ian Murray said in a statement. “Although the couple may no longer style themselves as working royals, they continue to be high-profile public figures and indeed have made plain their intention to continue to do so.”
Harry and Meghan’s latest move to distance themselves from the tabloid media comes after they stepped away from their royal duties to pursue a new life in Los Angeles.
Their letter follows legal action taken by Meghan in October against the Mail for sharing a private letter she sent to her estranged father. She also alleged that the tabloid published “false” and “derogatory stories” about her.
Previously, the British tabloids have defended their work claiming there is no truth to the allegations.
On Monday, Meghan gave Good Morning America viewers an inside look at Elephant, a documentary she narrated for Disney Plus last year.
“I’m really grateful to have the opportunity to be a part of bringing this story of elephants to life,” she said. “I’ve been very lucky to be able to have hands-on experience with elephants in their natural habitat. When you spend time connecting with them and the other wildlife, you really understand we have a role to play in their preservation and their safety.”
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