Opera Winfrey interview with Meghan Markle: A case study of media ethics
Rachel Meghan is an American film actress married to Prince Harry of the UK, the second child of Princess Diana, and a member of the British royal family. In January 2020, the couple stepped down from the royal family’s position and started their new life in California, USA, in a quest to be independent. The incident of the couple’s departure from the royal family created a buzz around the world, and the public got divided into two groups. People in one group supported Meghan and considered her vulnerable, while others defended the Royal family, which was being defamed publicly. Even after departure from the Royal family, the royal couple used to make headlines at different times, such as their new house in California, its worth, their second pregnancy, the activities of Meghan Markle, and others. But their appearance on the Oprah Winfrey Show soon after the speech of Queen Elizabeth and private revelations raised questions about the legitimacy of the interview and journalist ethics of Oprah Winfrey, media ethics of CNBC and ITV.
During the interview, Meghan Markle revealed that her stay in the royal palace was stressful and that she got suicidal thoughts even when she was expecting. She said the residents of Buckingham Palace were raising questions in concern about the skin color of their expected son, which reflects discriminatory behavior. Meghan revealed as soon as she stepped into the palace for the first time, the administration took away her passport, driver’s license, and even car keys. Harry said they were trapped in the castle. In answer to the question, Harry said they didn’t leave their family but stepped back from royal positions, and the main reason was a lack of support from other family members. He admitted that he feels like history is repeating itself but in a more dangerous way. Hence, he decided to step down from royal positions to save his family and Meghan from turning into the next Diana.
In conclusion, if any of the claims were true, it means the privacy of the Royal family has been sold on the media by Oprah Winfrey, CBS, and their family members. Being a journalist, Oprah Winfrey had some responsibilities, and she must need to understand;
- Does the public have a ‘Right to know’ all these details that Meghan shared?
- Is there any ‘Need to know’ about all these family accusations by the public?
- Even if people ‘Want to know’ still, the privacy of someone did not invade?
Before airing the interview, Oprah and his team must ponder the sensitive aspects of the interview and whether it can result in any legal consideration or public hate.