Harry and Meghan cut ties with British tabloids

The couple say they will no longer ‘offer themselves up as currency for an economy of clickbait and distortion’.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have cut ties with some of the UK biggest tabloids.

Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, have cut ties with some of Britain’s biggest tabloids and say they will adopt a policy of “zero engagement” with them.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who gave up their jobs as working royals at the end of last month, sent a letter to The Sun, Daily Mail, Daily Express and Daily Mirror on Sunday evening detailing their new policy.

The now LA-based couple, who cited their fractured relationship with the press as a key reason for their departure from Britain, will no longer respond to requests from any of the staff of these newspapers.

“This policy is not about avoiding criticism. It’s not about shutting down public conversation or censoring accurate reporting,” the couple’s representatives said.

“Media have every right to report on and indeed have an opinion on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, good or bad. But it can’t be based on a lie.”

Harry and Meghan have cut ties with some of Britain’s biggest tabloids.

The couple said they would no longer “offer themselves up as currency for an economy of clickbait and distortion”.

In its report, the Financial Times said under the new policy, the tabloids would be barred from receiving updates and photographs from the couple, and may also be blocked from attending their media events.

The couple’s letter describes the free press as “a cornerstone to any democracy” that can “shine light on dark places, telling stories that would otherwise go untold, standing up for what’s right, challenging power, and holding those who abuse the system to account”.

“(But) It is gravely concerning that an influential slice of the media, over many years, has sought to insulate themselves from taking accountability for what they say or print — even when they know it to be distorted, false, or invasive beyond reason.

“When power is enjoyed without responsibility, the trust we all place in this much-needed industry is degraded.

Prince Harry says he and his wife will no longer “offer themselves up as currency for an economy of clickbait and distortion”.

“There is a real human cost to this way of doing business and it affects every corner of society. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have watched people they know — as well as complete strangers — have their lives completely pulled apart for no good reason, other than the fact that salacious gossip boosts advertising revenue.”

Last year, the couple sued Britain’s Mail on Sunday for copyright infringement and breach of privacy after it published an ­account of a letter Meghan wrote to her father three months after their wedding, apparently lamenting his decision to speak with the “tabloids”.

In January, Prince Harry has lost a complaint against the Mail on Sunday about a story criticising wildlife photographs he posted on Instagram.

The prince alleged the newspaper made inaccurate claims about pictures he posted online last April of African wildlife. One photograph, of a worker with an elephant in Malawi had the headline: “Drugged and tethered … what Harry didn’t tell you about those awe-inspiring wildlife photos.”

Prince Harry took the Daily Mail and Mail Online to the British press regulator in 2016 over coverage of his love life, after they suggested Pippa Middleton and he were engaging in a “secret romance”, a ruling he lost.

Later that year, on announcing that he was dating Markle, Harry issued a strongly worded statement condemning the “racist” and “sexist abuse” of Markle by the media.

Reuters