Tangent 21 - Queen Mother RIP: too much media coverage?

Posted by
Byron

Posted on
16:07
Apr 01 2002

Queen Mother RIP: too much media coverage?

[moved from 'Queen Mother - RIP' in General Chat]

Any death of a family member is of course devastating, and my condolances go out to Charles, Harry, William, the Queen, and all others who knew and were close to Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon ("the Queen Mother" ). Personally, I feel nothing whatsoever, but that doesn't mean I can't deeply sympathise with what they're going through.

However, any (tenuous) hopes I had that some form of perspective would be kept by the media on this matter are so far being dashed - "excessive" barely begins to cover things. The Queen Mother lived a long and comfortable life, can take much of the credit for helping George IV to keep going through World War 2, and died at an impressive old age. She's led a far fuller existance than most could ever dream of.

What she did achieve (qualified with her flaws), and her historical role, can be rightly appreciated, and her death duly mourned. But here's (again tenuously) hoping that the response swiftly begins to approach what's proportionate to the actual event.

by Desire
...Maybe not, but a family bereavement is always hard for one reason or another. Just because you don't really care about it shouldn't mean that we should be disrespectful in complaining about the media attention this has attracted?

You may or may not have noticed that I haven't posted in this thread up until now. That was intentional! I may agree with you, but I chose not to voice that opinion because I feel that if nothing else, the family left behind deserves that respect.

The Royal family deserves their bereavement to be respected as would any other family who have lost someone close to them. As do the members of the public who's grief over the death is perfectly sincere. That their is such strength of feeling out there, and the consitutional ramifications, warrents a fairly extensive level of coverage.

But the events in the Middle-East (for example), with Yasser Arafat being close to death on the end of an Israeli shell (which would have consequences too terrible to comprehend) being reduced to virtual non-coverage by the Queen Mother's death seems more than a little wrong to me.

I empthatically respect the grief caused by what's occured. I just wish that other matters hadn't been marginalised to the extent they were because of it, which I personally consider to be as disrespectful to those poor people involved as would be making light of feelings surrounding the Queen Mother's passing.

(This is just explaining why I feel as I do on the matter, and not intended to instigate a heated debate in this thread - I apologise for any offense caused, it certainly wasn't intended.)

(Edited by Byron 01/04/2002 16:09)

50 Replies and 10959 Views in Total. [ 1 2 3 ]

Incandenza It's not a zero-sum game.

by Byron
However, any (tenuous) hopes I had that some form of perspective would be kept by the media on this matter are so far being dashed - "excessive" barely begins to cover things.

Agreed. The Sunday papers led with headlines saying things like 'Millions grieving' ... which millions and where were they? I don't know anyone who did more than shrug at the news.

By Sunday evening, I had reached the sad but inescapable conclusion that if I wanted to know what was happening in the Middle East, I would have to watch CNN because none of the UK stations seemed to feel the Israeli occupation of Arafat's compound or Sharon's announcement that Israel is now at war compared to the somewhat inevitable demise of a 101 year old woman who by any accounts had a pretty good innings but whose social significance was fairly limited.

People were contacting BBC News this morning saying that the media has completely misjudged the public mood. It is not a big deal for anyone except for friends and members of the family.

Posted: 16:58 Apr 01 2002

Diandra I have no idea what I'm doing out of bed.

by Incandenza
(quotes)

...compared to the somewhat inevitable demise of a 101 year old woman who by any accounts had a pretty good innings but whose social significance was fairly limited.

Only "somewhat inevitable?" Wow, British health care must be pretty darn good.

Posted: 17:03 Apr 01 2002

Sange It's only kinky the first time!!! after that it's just the Norm ;o)

by Incandenza
(quotes)

I don't know anyone who did more than shrug at the news.

People were contacting BBC News this morning saying that the media has completely misjudged the public mood. It is not a big deal for anyone except for friends and members of the family.

As reflected by the stream of well-wishers who queued up at royal palaces to sign books of condolence and lay bouquets of flowers.Thousands of people across Britain have been signing books of condolence to pay their last respects to the Queen Mother.

Far from a mere shrug from a few people

Posted: 17:14 Apr 01 2002

Whistler "I wonder wonder why the wonder falls. I wonder why the wonder falls on me. I wonder wonder why the wonder falls, with everything I touch and hear and see."

by Diandra
(quotes)

Only "somewhat inevitable?" Wow, British health care must be pretty darn good.

Well, it is when you're a member of the Royal Family. I wonder whether she would have reached the age of 101 if she was a widow, living on her own, worrying about how she was going to pay her fuel bill when Winter rolls around.

And, whenever she was ill, or fell over, she didn't lie, undiscovered for hours, or days, in agony and then forced to wait on a hospital trolley for hours again.

No, she was waited on hand and foot with no real stresses to worry about. Give me her level of care and *I'd* hope to leave a grand old age as well.

(Edited by Whistler 01/04/2002 17:21)

Posted: 17:20 Apr 01 2002

Incandenza It's not a zero-sum game.

by Sweet-Sange
As reflected by the stream of well-wishers who queued up at royal palaces to sign books of condolence and lay bouquets of flowers.Thousands of people across Britain have been signing books of condolence to pay their last respects to the Queen Mother.

Far from a mere shrug from a few people

I am sure that there are some people for whom this is a significant event although I suspect that the majority are of 'mature' age.

The footage I have seen suggests more of a trickle than a stream whilst a lot of those people seen around Buckingham Palace have been tourists.

The reality is that this is not a nation in mourning despite the efforts of the press to suggest that it is, and the level of coverage devoted to it, particularly by the television news is disproportionate to the significance of her, widely anticipated and blissfully peaceful, death.

This is only underlined by the serious nature of the news stories that have been sidelined by the extensive reporting.

As an aside,I notice that none of the media seem particularly keen to point out that as Queen, she was in favour of Chamberlain's appeasement of Hitler and as determined to prevent Churchill getting into power as her husband was.

Posted: 18:46 Apr 01 2002

Incandenza It's not a zero-sum game.

by Diandra
Only "somewhat inevitable?" Wow, British health care must be pretty darn good.

Not so much to do with the health care around her as the gin flowing through her veins.

Posted: 18:50 Apr 01 2002

Barbara No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. --Eleanor Roosevelt

Ok, so I'm sure she was a lovely lady but she did have a long and mostly happy life. She was old and has been ill recently and at the age of 101, her death cannot be that unexpected. I feel that the media are hyping up her death. There is other stuff going on in the world such as the Middle East crisis. I for one will not be mourning or signing books of condolence.

Posted: 19:09 Apr 01 2002

Sange It's only kinky the first time!!! after that it's just the Norm ;o)

The news has to cater for millions of readers/viewers and they have different views on what's important, and in their lives, that, to them, is valid.People can always find out about something if it isn't in a paper or on a news report. There are other ways, eg, the internet. What's news to one isn't necessarily news to another. The papers and television companys obviously feel that the Death of the Queen Mother "is" what the majority of people in this country want to read and hear about at the moment even if its not what you want to .... if they didn't then they wouldn't, people wouldn't be buying the papers or turning on those programs.

Posted: 19:15 Apr 01 2002

Red "A world of No!"

There *is* a crisis in the Middle East. I think we all know that by now. There is also a lot of other things happening around the world and in our own country, such as another young girl missing (something that I have been following as she lives locally and her face is on every lamppost around the area).

I know about this news story, and others, as I have read about them in the newspapers (even today) and seen them reported on the news.

Yes, the newspapers are covering the Queen Mothers death, as they covered England beating Germany 5-1 in the football, amongst other things. It is *news*.

It may not be the news *you* want to read about right now, but it is still considered news and as such is being reported for those who are interested (and my local shops are selling out of papers every day, don't know about yours). If you want full coverage of other news, check the net, change channel, find a paper that isn't reporting this particular story.

This sort of thing will also become part of history, and the future generations will learn about Elizabeth, her life and her death. The newspapers are printing commemorative editions for people to hold on to. I have collected one myself for my daughter to read as and when.

I don't think they are 'hyping up' the Queen Mother's death. It is fact. It happened. It can't be 'hyped up'. It can be 'dragged on', but when the papers stop selling, they'll stop filling the pages with it.

Something this big, and whatever your feelings about the Royal Family, it *is* big news for England, deserves to be reported in full. But it will fade in time, as all other news stories have done. Just bear with it

Posted: 19:34 Apr 01 2002

Maffrew In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight...

by Red
This sort of thing will also become part of history, and the future generations will learn about Elizabeth, her life and her death.

Something this big, and whatever your feelings about the Royal Family, it *is* big news for England, deserves to be reported in full.

Beg to differ just slightly...

In the grand scheme of things, the death of the Queen Mother (along the the missing girl) are tiny itty bitty little events, especially when compared to the events in the Middle East at the momemt. The Queen Mother has had no real significance and she's certainly not done enough to warrant such a grand place in history as you would suggest.

The fact that she was dead was news. Okay, so she's dead.

I'd like to say to the nation... "Get over it already!"

Posted: 19:43 Apr 01 2002

Miss Edith People don't fall in love with what's right in front of them. People want the dream -- what they can't have. The more unattainable, the more attractive. --Xander

by Barbara
Ok, so I'm sure she was a lovely lady but she did have a long and mostly happy life. She was old and has been ill recently and at the age of 101, her death cannot be that unexpected. I feel that the media are hyping up her death. There is other stuff going on in the world such as the Middle East crisis. I for one will not be mourning or signing books of condolence.

Totally agree. The media as always have totally blown this out of proportion. I mean she was 101!!!! If you ask me thats a great age and very few of us will ever reach it. Personally I felt absolutely nothing. My heart is with those who die young. It might sound selfish, but I love my own family and friends, I didn't know her therefore I feel zilch.

Posted: 19:50 Apr 01 2002

Samphirette To you I guess I'm just a clown who picks you up each time you're down

by Red
It may not be the news *you* want to read about right now, but it is still considered news and as such is being reported for those who are interested

I don't think they are 'hyping up' the Queen Mother's death. It is fact. It happened. It can't be 'hyped up'.

I don't think they are hyping it either, the Queen Mother has become quite a remarkable woman over the years and inevitably living 101 years this is bound to create some stories of life through the years that she experienced. The news can also cover the story from many angles - combined with the death of Princess Margaret the deaths are obviously going to affect the immediate relations within the Royal Family. I have no problem reading or watching the parts that interest me and turning off the rest - this is what news channels and remote controls are for, or pages in a paper are for, to pick and choose what individuals want to read.

What actually disappointed me on the news coverage was hours after the Queen Mother had died was the way in which one news broadcast were trying to compare *public turnout* with that of Princess Diana's mourning and funeral - a bit heartless trying to portray her death as a competition for public affection

Posted: 19:50 Apr 01 2002

Red "A world of No!"

by Maffrew
The Queen Mother has had no real significance and she's certainly not done enough to warrant such a grand place in history as you would suggest.

I did? Didn't mean it to be interpreted as that. Just that, as with other Royals throughout history (Edward, George, Diana, etc) she's bound to be 'covered' in the future.

Posted: 19:59 Apr 01 2002

Sange It's only kinky the first time!!! after that it's just the Norm ;o)

by Maffrew
(quotes)

Beg to differ just slightly...

In the grand scheme of things, the death of the Queen Mother (along the the missing girl) are tiny itty bitty little events, especially when compared to the events in the Middle East at the momemt. The Queen Mother has had no real significance and she's certainly not done enough to warrant such a grand place in history as you would suggest.

The fact that she was dead was news. Okay, so she's dead.

I'd like to say to the nation... "Get over it already!"

But see maff, that's the whole point it is the nation that will keep this in the news, and I'm sure to the parents of the little girl the death of the Queen Mother, The Middle East crisis or Aliens landing are "tiny itty bitty little events" .

Posted: 20:02 Apr 01 2002

Maffrew In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight...

Nah hah, don't think so...

The nation will read whatever the media gives them to read. The media determines the news, not the nation.

Posted: 20:12 Apr 01 2002

Sange It's only kinky the first time!!! after that it's just the Norm ;o)

by Maffrew
Nah hah, don't think so...

The nation will read whatever the media gives them to read. The media determines the news, not the nation.

And as I said earlier incase you didnt read it .... If the people didn't want to read it they wouldn't be buying it. They can get the news they want from a lot of different means They don't have to go buy the papers. Or do you feel that The Nation can't decide that for itself as you no doubt have done ?

Posted: 20:20 Apr 01 2002

Incandenza It's not a zero-sum game.

I agree with Maff. This is about Agenda Setting.

As has been previously pointed out, due to the time at which the news broke, the newspapers on Sunday had to run stories about the 'Nations' response without knowing what that response had been. So they guessed ... 'Millions grieve'.

I watched the news on Saturday night as journalists tried desperately to find someone to interview who would give them the story they wanted to report.

Sunday newspapers sell out on most weeks as do dailies in lots of shops. The distribution is sophisticated enough to supply only a little more than is usually estimated will be sold at a location.

Most people don't buy a newspaper because of specific news they are interested in, they buy the same one every day or week. A few people might be swayed by specific content but the readership broadly stays consistent in the short term.

People who buy papers will still buy them, it neither proves nor disproves the interest of those people in the front page story. Likewise, people who habitually watch televised news will sit through the first 10 minutes of the news until it gets to the important stuff.

This is a non story, blown out of all proportion because the old woman in question was a member of the lucky sperm brigade.

Posted: 20:22 Apr 01 2002

Samphirette To you I guess I'm just a clown who picks you up each time you're down

by Incandenza
This is a non story, blown out of all proportion

I appreciate that interest in the Royal Family has declined over the years with younger people and although I'm not royalist myself, I do have a respect for the older members of the Royals especially the Queen Mum who has been a pillar in holding some of them together.

Whilst modern day values seem to be entering the lives of the Royals with divorces and less arranged marriages, the one Royal I always had respect for was the public portrayal of the Queen Mother and I for one do not think classing her as

the old woman in question was a member of the lucky sperm brigade.

to be very respectful.

Posted: 20:45 Apr 01 2002

Ethan You Rasclart!

by Incandenza
This is a non story, blown out of all proportion because the old woman in question was a member of the lucky sperm brigade.

Classy. Not quite the words I would have used. I had thought you were something of a wordsmith, until now. Although I wouldn't quite call it a 'Non story blown out of proportion' either. But yes there comes a time when enough is enough.

Posted: 20:46 Apr 01 2002

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