Meghan slams media: ‘You’re going for something salacious versus something truthful’

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex is certainly not shy to voice her opinions, and this week she’s done just that, as she yet again slammed the media and their portrayal of those in the spotlight.

Over the past year the mother-of-one and her husband Prince Harry have openly criticised publications, even launching legal action against the Mail on Sunday after “the intrusive and unlawful publication” of a private letter, written by the duchess.

Now, during an interview with The 19th, Meghan has again discussed the toxicity and salacious nature of the media. During the chat, the duchess was in the interviewer’s seat, talking with The 19th‘s co-founder and CEO, Emily Ramshaw about the new non-profit newsroom.

However, she also had her say on different matters and said there’s a need for more “high quality journalism”. Meghan said both her and Harry have noticed the “economy of attention” in the media and how the salacious is rewarded over the truth.

“I think what’s so fascinating, at least from my standpoint and my personal experience the last couple of years, is the headline alone, the clickbait alone, makes an imprint,” she said during the interview.

“That is part of how we view the world and we interact with other people – there’s so much toxicity out there. In what is being referred to, my husband and I talk about it often, that economy for attention. That is what is monetizable right now when you’re looking at the digital space and media.”

Meghan added: “You’re just trying to grab someone’s attention so you’re going for something salacious versus something truthful. So I think once we can get back to a place where people are just telling the truth in their reporting, and telling it through a compassionate and empathetic lens, it’s going to help bind people as a community.”

Meanwhile, during the interview Meghan also had her say on her return to America and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex along with their son Archie, packed up their bags and moved to the US after stepping down as senior members of the royal family.

Meghan said it was “good to be home” but said it was sad to see what was going on throughout America following the devastating death of George Floyd.

“If there’s any silver lining in that, I would say that in the weeks after the murder of George Floyd, in the peaceful protests that you were seeing, in the voices that were coming out, in the way that people were actually owning their role… it shifted from sadness to a feeling of absolute inspiration, because I can see that the tide is turning,” she told The 19th.