Regarding Meghan and Harry.
What have the following newspapers got in common?
The Daily Express, The Daily Mail, The Daily Mirror, The Evening Standard, The Telegraph, The Times, The Sun?
The answer is this; they’re the core group of UK outlets with Royal Rota access. This means they’re the predominant news source through which worldwide media organisations receive content on the official engagements of members of the Royal Family.
Unless you happen to know them personally then one hundred percent of your awareness of the Royal Family is via media, specifically and particularly, the newspapers with Royal Rota access. They’re the ones who control the public perception, and swing the scales of popularity for or against individual members of the Family according to their own whim and agenda.
For Meghan and Harry, no more. One of the key changes of the recent announcements is that M and H are leaving the Royal Rota system. And the media outlets who are being cut out of the loop are entirely furious. No longer have they control over the coverage, the stories, the truth, and the influence and revenue that brings them. They’ve been dumped.
In business terminology, the removal of superfluous and unwanted middlemen is called ‘disintermediation’. Digital platforms are constantly doing this, connecting parties without the need for those middlemen, removing unnecessary brokers who otherwise control and manipulate and profit from the bottleneck they themselves create. The result of disintermediating them is streamlining of service, increased efficiency, and better business. It’s not a new phenomenon, it’s a core tenet of Christianity, Jesus connecting people directly to God without the need for a religious establishment. They didn’t like it either. This is what has just happened to the 7 publications above. They’ve been disintermediated, bypassed, made redundant, obsolete, and replaced with direct communication. From now, M and H will, to quote the Media section of the Sussex Royal website:
“Engage with grassroots media organisations and young, up-and-coming journalists; Invite specialist media to specific events/engagements to give greater access to their cause-driven activities, widening the spectrum of news coverage; Provide access to credible media outlets focused on objective news reporting to cover key moments and events; Continue to share information directly to the wider public via their official communications channels;”
What’s wrong with that? They’re only going to deal with credible and respectful media and journalists, regardless of age or background, and they’ll share on social media, directly to everyone. This is exactly how it should be.
In other words, Harry and Meghan are taking back control. And who could argue with that?
All the publications in the Royal Rota, that’s who can argue with it. They’ve just been fired, told they’re unnecessary, and won’t be required in the future. All they can do in response is shout abuse. And every time they do, and every time they attack M&H and criticise them and attempt to turn opinion against them remember why. It’s because they had their power and privilege taken away from them, and they’re angry. That’s all.
Rather than serving the truth, and respecting the Royal Family, they consistently sought to be the power behind the Throne, and now, for M&H, they’re cut out of the picture entirely. That’s why they’re so outraged. And now, true to their form, are trying to turn the people against the Royal couple as a retaliation, and will probably continue to do so for the foreseeable future, out of little more than spite.
I say well done Harry and Meghan for living true to yourselves. Thank you for serving the people, of all Nations and all communities, and thank you for your authenticity, you are genuine role models for us all.
And as for the publications in the now reduced Royal Rota. You reap what you sow.