By Admin Comment Closed

Reporting on The Sussexes in the UK – Misinformation & Disinformation Techniques

 

The article accompanying this weeks podcast looks at a selection of Sussex key dates in 2021 & 2022, focussing on the UK media practice of misinformation or disinformation about each one, with the intent to distract from actual newsworthy editorial that should be reported on.  We have plenty to look forward to in 2022 with many key events in the calendar.  Be prepared for the distraction tactics to go up a gear or two. UK RRs are currently having dry baths in the ashes that they claimed to wish for, ie the apparent popularity of the relics of UK Monarchy. We know that they only eat when they insert the name of Harry or Meghan into their fake headlines, as they continue to scrape the barrel of UK Royal activity in their effort to make fetch happen.  At least one RR was based in Montecito over the festive period, in the hope of acquiring Sussex news no doubt.  No news of whether or not Shipwreck is still sailing USA waters. It is beyond ironic that UK RRs who are paid to write about the tax funded Royals and their projects in the UK and the Commonwealth, are focussing on trying to secure a support network in the USA, which is not a Commonwealth nation and which went to great lengths to remove themselves from UK interference.  It is like a parody of how to find yet another way to spend UK tax funds on things which do not fall within the remit of UK Monarchy.  Could it be, that they hope to share the spotlight with the couple that the British Royal Family and its media hounded out of the UK and continue to describe the Sussexes as irrelevant?

Let us take a look at and discuss a few key dates and give examples of Royal Reporter distraction stories against each one of those dates.

  • Following the Sussex announcement on 8th January 2020 that they were stepping back from senior Royal duties, Buckingham Palace released a Statement in February 2021 confirming that decision by the couple.
    • The Royal Family insisted on a 12 month review, even going as far as stating that Harry agreed to this during discussions. On the Sussexes website, it stated the following:- “While there is precedent for other titled members of the Royal Family to seek employment outside of the institution, for The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, a 12-month review period has been put in place.” That would suggest that it was not something that the Sussexes wanted or needed, and their actions and business contracts secured during that 12 month review, was a clear indication that the Sussexes were going ahead as planned
    • The Sussexes also purchased a new family home. Clearest indication yet to those with common sense that they were not returning to reside in the UK again. Lesson here, do not believe all that you read in tabloid press, not least because their priority is to be the public voice of the British Royal Family. So despite the daily rhetoric in the tabloids about Harry wanting to return to his “home”, it is a deliberate attempt to disregard the purchase of a property and refer to the Uk favourite Prince as wishing to return to at some point to the UK.
    • Note in the ongoing fantasy tales in the tabloid, they spend most of the time writing very negative articles on the couple and when anything appears about returning to the UK, the tabloids only refer to Harry, and rarely refer to his wife and children.

  • March 2021 -Oprah interview with Meghan and Harry joined in the 2nd One week before the interview even aired, UK media began a series of articles in all of the newspapers reported as factual, for an interview that had not yet taken place and apart from a few seconds of footage from the interview, nothing else was revealed. Those short clips of footage began two days before the interview aired. We must not forget the 4 members of the Carnival of so called Experts who were approached to give their thoughts on the interview, as if they had viewed it already, and to state their opinions and reactions to what was said. The team behind this stunt were making the point on how so called experts are more than happy to give their opinions on the Sussexes particularly Meghan, about an interview that they had not yet viewed as if they had indeed viewed it. Confirming that so many of these people who have suddenly become popular by tv networks to give their opinion on Meghan and Harry, earn money from speaking in a disparaging way, much of which is their opinion and not fact, and in this particular case, spouted complete fiction on some of their topics that they felt so strongly over.  All of these people are still employed and called upon by networks in the UK and abroad, despite the embarrassing footage of their discussions on camera about the comments made by Meghan and Harry to Oprah, being splashed all over social media network for days afterwards.  Strangely enough, the tabloids did not run the story, and still use quotes from these individuals to the present day.
    • This interview was announced one week before the interview aired on 7th March 2021 on CBS. UK media really came out in an all out onslaught of the most disgusting headlines and articles – all based on what they anticipated would be included. Their actions over that week, steadily became more sinister and accusatory, and which was viewed by a global audience that was clearly becoming more invested in watching this interview based on the antics of UK media.
    • UK tabloids are the best free marketing for any Sussex publication that they do not want people to view. I would describe their behaviour and the topics that were raised by UK tabloids with no evidence that these topics would be discussed in the interview, was a classic case of projection. With each claim becoming more outlandish and extreme, they then went down the route of a subject which no doubt was done upon the instruction of the Royal Family, but which then implicated the Monarchy with the high potential of a legal case developing.  So having produced a myriad of articles claiming Bullying behaviour by Meghan with her staff, on top of the other salacious headlines that they had produced over the preceding 7 days, and sold papers on the back of those claims, along with inviting hatred and vile comments on social media as a result about the couple, particularly Meghan, the interview itself revealed none of those claims.
    • Some of the things that were said in the interview, took the BRF by surprise, and then in an effort to prove that the Sussexes were mistaken or lying about those subjects, the senior Royals went on an embarrassing crusade of denials in front of pre arranged cameras and scenarios to state categorically that they were the opposite of those things stated in the interview, and other topics were not recollected as being discussed in the way represented within the family.  g. the questions asked, more than one conversation, about the likely shade of Archie’s skin before he was born.  It seemed to escape their attention that it was Harry who mentioned these conversations, including concern about Archie’s skin colour before he was born, and another example of when Harry was told that there was no money to pay Meghan anything, and that perhaps she could return to acting to pay her expenses. Meghan stated in the interview how Royal HR refused her assistance when she asked for help as she was feeling suicidal.  HR said she was not an employee of the BRF so they could not help her.  So on the one hand Meghan was not an employee so no HR assistance available apparently and also not a member of the family either, because there was no financial provision made for her upon marriage to Harry, which is the practice for every new person entering into the Royal family upon marriage, certainly a senior Royal position. They said much much more, all of which would be challenged in any tribunal or court case. The BRF are so used to putting whatever news slant they want out there via Royal Reporters, and have never been challenged before.  They discovered very quickly Meghan has receipts for every conversation on this and other subjects, and an excellent legal team.  For the first time the Monarchy had shouted from the mountain tops for the world to hear a claim that they believed would reduce Meghan in particular credibility and discovered very quickly that they were on a hiding to nothing with their claim, and in fact would most definitely lose any case brought against Meghan moving forward.  No doubt they wished they could turn back time, and to date the BRF are still stumbling around trying to back away from this very public accusation. 

 

  • March 2021 – Secures his first paid position at Chief Impact Officer at Better Up Inc
    • A tabloid response to Harry securing a paid role was this:-Just call me Harry’: Prince has already been working for life-coaching firm BetterUp for ‘two months’ and insists on being called by his first name, reveals CEO who once gave speech in a SPACESUIT and throws fancy dress parties where staff wear ONESIES.  Uk Media trying to devalue the appointment by its choice of certain words in this description.

 

  • April 2021 – Death and funeral of Prince Philip.
    • PRINCE PHILIP’s death will become a “healing moment” for the Royal Family, according to one royal expert, who suggested that Harry will mend his rift with William when he returns to the UK for the funeral. Always use words that indicate it is for Harry to repair any damage to the family reputation etc.

 

 

  • May 2021 – The Me You Can’s See documentary on Apple TV. Created and Co Produced by Harry and Oprah.  6 Episodes.  Following the global debut of the ground breaking documentary series, “The Me You Can’t See: A Path Forward,” Oprah Winfrey and Prince Harry reunited with advisors and participants for a thought-provoking, wide-ranging conversation about mental health and emotional well-being, and where we go from here.

 

  • Prince Harry is reportedly set to drop more “truth bombs” in a “deeply personal” episode of his new mental health series with Oprah Winfrey. The Duke of Sussex, 36, has teamed up with the US chat show powerhousefor documentary The Me You Can’t See – which premieres on Friday.   Again spent months writing articles which were negative about Harry working with Oprah and a USA network.  There were disparaging phrases used to describe Oprah’s career and position in the media world; one member of the Royal family claiming not to know who who Oprah was.  Sussex Squad soon reminded everyone that the member of the BRF who made that statement, had visited a school funded by Oprah and there are several photos of the visit, with the Oprah and said Royal and the girls from the school.  The obvious efforts to downplay the series on mental health, and the production team, and in particular Oprah herself, in order to try and make it look like Harry just found someone off the street to co produce this series, backfired spectacularly, and has since been praised around the world as a teaching aid for years to come.

 

  • May 2021 – Vax Live – Global Citizen
    • A ROYAL DECLARATION

Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex has called for the Covid vaccine to be “equally distributed” across the world.

The 36-year-old and his wife Meghan Markle offered hope that recovery from the pandemic will also help “women who have been disproportionately affected by this pandemic.”

“Women, and especially women of colour, have seen a generation of economic gain wiped out,” the Duchess explained.

 

  • June 2021 – Harry and Meghan welcome their 2nd child, Lilibet Diana
    • June 9, 2021 In response to claims that emerged on June 9, a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex has confirmed that the couple were indeed given the Queen’s blessing

  • June 2021 – Meghan’s book The Bench released.
  • New York Times Best Seller but not even in top 100 UK.    UK Tabloids reporting.

 

  • July 2021 – Unveiling of Princess Diana’s Statue in Kensington Gardens, marking what would have been her 60th Birthday on 1st
    • It was apparent that the brothers still needed to “work on their relationship” following the unveiling. “People were hoping this was going to be the moment that the brothers reconciled.

  • August 2021 – Meghan’s 40th birthday & launch of 40 x 40 mentorship global initiative
    • To celebrate her 40th Birthday, The Duchess of Sussex launched a new initiative “40×40”, via her charitable foundation Archewell. Duchess Meghan, alongside Melissa McCarthy, shared her idea to help women re-entering the workplace after the Coronavirus pandemic, in a light comedy skit.

           

  • September 2021 – Harry and Meghan – Visit to New York City.

Visited the 9/11 Memorial with New York governor Kathy Hochul and New York City mayor Bill de Blasio, and held meetings with the U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed and the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex spent the second morning of their New York trip in Harlem, where the duchess read her children’s book The Bench to second-grade students.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle admired a mural that had been created by fourth and fifth graders at the PS 123 Mahalia Jackson school

  • The Duke and Duchess of Sussex — who were in town for the Global Citizen Live eventat Central Park over the weekend — made time to swing by Harlem institution Melba’s for lunch on Friday.

On Instagram, restaurateur Melba Wilson said that hosting the couple was “a dream come true,” and it appears that Prince Harry and Meghan felt the same way. A diner at the restaurant told Page Six that the couple ate chicken and waffles, spring rolls, and catfish, among other dishes. The lunch at Melba’s was reportedly the first time that Harry has ever eaten chicken and waffles. “They were super nice to other customers and were overheard raving about the food,” a representative for the restaurant tells Eater.

Prince Harry and Meghan told Wilson donated $25,000 to the iconic restaurant to help support its pandemic recovery.   Credit to Eater.com for the wording re Melba’s.  Reporter: Erika Adams

 

UK tabloid response:-

    • Harry and Meghan were vacuous in their 3 day Royal tour of NYC
    • Meghan and Harry planning more fake Royal tours in such places as Australia as well as other parts of the USA
    • Both above statements claimed by Royal experts in two of the tabloids. All the others stating similar disdain for what they are ALL describing as a Royal Tour.

 

  • September 2021 – Harry and Meghan Markle speak onstage during Global Citizen Live, New York on September 25, 2021 in New York City.

 

 

  • November 2021 – Meghan Markle joined Prince Harry at a special New York City event to honour veterans ahead of Veterans Day in the U.S. and Remembrance Day in the U.K

                           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      •    UK press:-   Lights, camera, action exclusive pictures reveal the camera-shy documentary crew that shadowed Meghan and Harry’s every step to visit veterans in NYC and NJ. So was it a royal event or a reality show? Answer: Neither. Tabloids just trying to influence the UK audience.

NB    the same Royal Reporters gloated over Harry losing his positions with military in the UK, and now making cheap digs at the couple for being embraced by USA military and for bringing along their own camera crew to film them during the event.  Their real gripe is that no UK media personnel were invited to be there to film or take photos. The RRs have a whole Royal Family to film and take photos of, so there should be plenty to keep them busy. The BRF & its media hounded their ‘golden goose’ out of the country, and despite their continued efforts to discredit the Sussexes, the couple are thriving and going from strength to strength.

Cannot bully and harass someone out of the country and then complain that your targets have no interest in rushing back to the nation that asked them to leave every single day, or to allow UK media access to their projects in their new permanent home. USA news organisations now have access to the Sussexes.  The UK threw away  the ball.  Game over. The couple left, so they now need to deal with the consequences of their 5 years and ongoing campaign.

 

  • December 2021 – Daily Mail loses Court Case on Copyright and Privacy, and pays out to Meghan.
    • The Daily never expected to find itself in this position 3 years down the line. This was all fun and game, s to them, trying to humiliate Meghan in the public eye, by working with her father to publish one of Meghans private letters to her father in an effort to paint Meghan in a particular light.  The Daily Mail published extracts from the letter which gave the point of view they wanted, even going aas far as excluding certain words from sentences etc.
    • The Mail did not expect Meghan to be so strong and prepared in terms of her defence, and with a formidable legal team. The BRF went as far as allowing a senior member of the Royal family to give permission for a senior aide who worked in Kensington Palace to provide information and to liaise with the Daily Mail.  Just think one member of the BRF worked a tabloid newspaper against another member of the same Royal family. That tells you all right thinking people need to know about the forces that Meghan and Harry were up against, which resulted in increased risk to their lives and increased death threats, and the impact on their mental health. 
    • Royal Reporters do not write about the news – they create news for people to digest and believe and to form a preferred opinion by those who work in partnership with the RRs.

 

The Meaning of Misinformation

  • Misinformation is incorrect or misleading information unintentionally presented as fact.

 

The Meaning of Disinformation

  • Disinformation is a subset of propaganda and is false information that is spread deliberately to deceive.

 

 

The Sussexes in 2022

 

Look out for Misinformation and Disinformation with any activity that the Sussexes are involved in this year and beyond.  Despite stating several times that Royal Reporters would not cover anything that Harry and Meghan do now that they have stepped back from Senior Royal duties and are no longer funded by UK taxpayers.  The Royal Reporters write more about The Sussexes than all of the Royal family combined every single day.

UK media write about other Royals now and then, and when they do, they always include Harry or Meghan’s name in the headline.  It is the only way that they secure increased engagement by the readers than if they do not mention them at all, regardless of whether or not the topic contains any information or involvement of the Sussexes.

The New York 3 day tour was described as a Royal Tour by the UK tabloids because it was clearly a huge success, despite all the negative press about it before it took place, and then which gave the RRs an excuse to complain that Harry and Meghan never mentioned the Royal Family once during those 3 days.  To describe them as Clowns is polite.  For those who like to call themselves journalists – they are definitely not that.

One of the topics that they have concerned themselves with are Harry and Meghans tax returns, or rather the Tax Returns of the Archewell Foundation.  Articles taking great delight on how little income has come into the Foundation in its first year, and how they are clearly struggling etc etc.  Lies.  First of all if the RRs have so much time on their hands, why do they not look into the accounts of the BRF who have been found wanting in regards to 6 figure sums of money donated by powerful people and which does not appear in the accounts of the charities in question.  Not just one or two cases of this by the way.  This practice goes back years, and those who have donated have come away some months later with a Title of some kind.  Not a word said about those examples, and they do involve senior Royals.  Tax funded Royals.

Yet, the RRs prefer to go delving into tax returns of Harry and Meghan.  They do seem to forget certain things, so let me remind them of a few points here:-

  • Harry and Meghan stepped away from Royal life to become self financing. It is their wish to become philanthropists and not have any of their activities funded by taxpayers.
  • The Sussexes secured a number of major contracts in their first year of stepping back from Royal duties; contracts which make them millionaires several times over, and provide security for their children. They have also purchased a home, which the RRs like to report on daily regarding how many bathrooms it has etc.  Clearly simple things exercise their thoughts.
  • Archewell Foundation is now set up, and has an amount of funds shown in the accounts. The tabloid press are trying to give the impression that the Sussexes must be struggling as their Foundation does not have large sums of money in its accounts yet, therefore helping the vulnerable will be difficult. Trying to send out an inaccurate message in terms of the ability for the Sussexes to continue to help vulnerable groups in society.  It is a deliberate ploy to try and undermine Archewell.
    • First of all, the Sussexes are millionaires in the first year of leaving the UK. All the money they have donated to date, significant amounts of money, have come from their earnings.  It is no business of UK media or the Royal family, how they spend their money, including where they donate funds.  If they never earn another penny, the family are set for life, so all these reports on the amount held in the Archewell accounts is neither here nor there.  It is the UK media trying to say that they Sussexes need to return to the UK, and help the ailing Royal family. The UK has got what they asked for and if the remaining Royal family members do not generate much interest within the Uk itself, it definitely generates even less globally, it really is of no concern or interest to Harry and Meghan.  RRs chased them out with their abusive treatment and no person returns to their abuser unless they have to.  Harry and Meghan do not need to return.
    • Ignore the reports that describe the UK as Harry’s “home”. It is a way of influencing people to start to associate life in the USA with his wife and children, as something that he can leave behind, in order to return “home” or another favourite phrase is to “heal the family rift” etc etc.  When your own brother works with a tabloid to provide evidence in a court case, against a member of the same Royal family, don’t expect the Sussexes to come running to the Uk for anything but the odd important family occasion.  After the treatment and reaction to the birth of both Sussex children, do not expect to see the Sussex children on UK soil for many years to come. When RRs mention the children coming for the Jubilee this year, don’t be fooled.  They are looking for circus exhibits for photos that they can use until the next decade when the children appear in the UK.  All Sussex photos are copyrighted and if uk media wish to use them in their publications, they have to pay for each one.  If the Sussex family come to the UK, Royal Reporters can take as many photos as they wish, because of the agreement they have with the Royal family, and then they can sell these photos on to other establishments who wish to use them.  The views of UK media and the Royal family relating to the Sussex children and their mother is well known globally. The cruelty and disrespect shown to those babies is beyond vile, and the UK cannot pick and choose when they need their token subjects for a photo opportunity or two.  They can go kick rocks. Harry and Meghan will never allow their children to be used in that way.
    • The Invictus Games are coming up, and there is an overlap with the Jubilee celebrations. I know what I will be watching, and it wont be Jubilee celebrations, and most of the global audience will not be watching either, so let the BRF family have their balcony photo opportunities with the all white family that they consider represents the British Monarchy.
    • Meghan nearly died as a result of her treatment within that family and its media partners, so if Meghan ever sets foot in the Uk again, it will be to support Harry or to support her patronages.

 

UK tabloid media is a Case Study in Misinformation and Disinformation.  Be aware of both, but better still, do what I do, read archived versions of articles, and ensure that the said publications do not earn from your perusal at their poison.  I stopped reading all tabloid media early in 2017 after I saw the seeds being sown of abusive and racist rhetoric being badly disguised s something else.  One QC reported over two years ago that RRs were using undertones of racism in their articles, and straight out of the gate, one of the regular authors of such content, admitted that there “were indeed undertones of racism” but that the QC (Queens Council) “should know that undertones are not against the law.” Receipts exist of that public dialogue on a social media platform.

 

This is the state of UK tabloids who have their unwritten contract with the UK Royal Family, and the style of their rhetoric.  In the past they were able to do such things without challenge, but now the Sussexes have shown you can escape from the confines of Monarchy.  You do not have to stay simply because you were brought into the world to serve and to adhere to rules that you had no say in composition.  You can go out and seek you own employment and live and pay taxes etc.  The BRF and its media never expected Sussex Squad to arrive on the scene.  A global network spanning many many countries.  We are not a fan base but a global support network, and we are never going away.  A network of people who are span many professions, including legal, so never underestimate any Squad member in any country.  We have a lifetime membership, and between us and our various time zones, we provide support for the Sussexes and their endeavours 24/7. 2022 is going to be an even better year than 2021.  We are ready for anything. We have Sussex birthdays and an Anniversary, plus including The Invictus Games.  Bring it on.

 

NB.  This image is from an experiment carried out in 2002.   Food for thought about the power of  information and its impact in terms of delivery.

 

Ivy Barrow

09 Jan 2022