Prince Harry has never been one to shy away from a tough conversation, especially when it involves his wife, Meghan Markle. From their ‘cold’ tribute to the late Prince Philip to their decision to step back from the Royal Family, both Harry and Meghan have been heavily criticised for their choices over the last few years. While they’ve undoubtedly come under fire, that’s not to say that they haven’t clapped back, particularly at their treatment in the media.
Most recently, Harry took aim at the word ‘Megxit’ while acting as a panelist for an online event organised by Wired Magazine. As we know, the word ‘Megxit’ is a play on the term Brexit, which described the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the European Union. After Harry and Meghan announced their decision to step back from the Royal Family to make a new life for themselves in the United States, the word ‘Megxit’ quickly became the buzzword of 2020.
“Maybe people know this and maybe they don’t, but the term Megxit was or is a misogynistic term, and it was created by a troll, amplified by royal correspondents, and it grew and grew and grew into mainstream media. But it began with a troll,” Harry said, while speaking at the event.
The panel comes after a very interesting report which was released in October of this year and conducted by social media analytics service, Bot Sentinel. After analysing more than 114,000 tweets, the report found that 83 Twitter accounts are responsible for fuelling roughly 70% of negative content and harassment targeting Meghan.
It’s a shocking revelation, particularly given how pervasive and widespread the online criticism appeared to be. It’s also an important lesson that the internet allows a certain level of anonymity that prevents us from ever truly understanding who is on the other side of the screen.
Harry also commented on the insight during the panel, saying:
“Perhaps the most disturbing part of this was the number of British journalists who were interacting with them and amplifying the lies, but they regurgitate these lies as truth.”
Harry and Meghan are both active campaigners against online bullying, as they understand first-hand how devastating the impacts can be. They also understand how detrimental online gossip and rumours can be for mental health, with Harry calling misinformation a “global humanitarian crisis” in the same panel.
Harry then went on to speak about his mother, and how his childhood influenced the way he perceives the media, given the intense scrutiny Princess Diana received.
“I learned from a very early age that the incentives of publishing are not necessarily aligned with the incentives of truth.
“I know the story all too well. I lost my mother to this self-manufactured rabidness, and obviously I’m determined not to lose the mother to my children to the same thing.”
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