There was only one victor in the United States’ coverage of the Queen’s death, and it was an abject failure. And the chasm between them was as big as the Atlantic Ocean.
To the crown, CNN: as soon as the official announcement from the palace came at 7.30am ET that doctors were concerned for the Queen’s health, CNN shelved all of its regular programming and filled those ominous hours before the almost inevitable and mournful announcement of the Queen’s death at 1.30pm.
Outside the palace, the incomparable Anderson Cooper conducteds interviews with reporters in the studio. The only time he misspoke was when he mentioned the Queen of England.
He was carefully corrected by Christiane Amanpour, who replied, “United Kingdom” (it’s the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland since 1707 and the Act of Union).
Anderson managed a forgivable and tiny hiccup in a long day with professionalism that was measured without seeming solemn and, hiccup aside, was knowledgable.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta remained focused on medical matters, such as why the Queen may not have been sent to the hospital – potentially because there was “no purpose.” He further stated that we should not speculate.
Max Foster, CNN’s UK presenter, became emotional when he announced The Queen’s death.
The world was heartbroken by the Queen’s death after it was announced on September 8 that she had died in Balmoral, Scotland. The devastating news was covered extensively by American broadcasters.
Fox News was deemed unwatchable due to its frequent pauses and seeming need to fact-check everything uttered.
Given the vast amount of airtime broadcasters had to fill while awaiting an update, it was difficult not to.
They likely already knew the Queen had passed away – news teams would have had to organize coverage – but they were required to wait for the formal announcement.
In London, CNN anchor and royal journalist Max Foster noted the “quite weird atmosphere in the United Kingdom” and referred to BBC man Huw Edwards’ menacing black tie.
Max exhibited an admirable level of composure despite the fact that he clearly anticipated the worst.
“I anticipate one,” he remarked, emphasizing that such announcement would be “uncomfortable” prior to the arrival of the Duke of Sussex, who was flying separately to Balmoral, where the Queen resided.
When the time came, Max, who had remarkably kept his composure all day, announced quietly, “The Queen has passed away.”
When Anderson inquired as to what he was thinking at the moment, he responded extraordinarily and professionally, albeit with a shaking voice, by providing an intelligent response.
Moving without being sentimental, he stated that the Queen has “been there in moments of pain” and that it is now “impossible for us not to see her in our ultimate moment of grief – her passing.”
ABC focused on the personality of the now-King Charles III, and did a bit of a “hack” job of it.
Fox News’s first error of the evening occurred when announcing the death of the monarch: “The King, um, the Queen has died.”
Whereas CNN was a superb combination of historical insight and a forward-looking outlook, ABC focused on the personality of Prince Charles III, who is now King.
“Charles had a tough upbringing,” they continued, before engaging in some slander.
When questioned, “Are you in love? ” while displaying a clip of his engagement to Diana, the reporter said, “Yes.”
‘ (to which he replied, ‘Whatever love is’), it was difficult not to be reminded of how tragic a royal life Diana had suffered, knowing that her husband was in love with another woman. It seemed inappropriate at this time to bring up Charles’s damaged personality. Too soon.
An interview with royal biographer Andrew Morton (who published Diana: Her True Story, which essentially destroyed the Royal Family by revealing the Princess of Wales’ side of events) did not add fuel to the fire and complimented the Queen for being ‘a point of certainty in an uncertain world’
He also praised Prince Charles, whom he called “a more political figure than the Queen,” and was adamant about climate change, organic farming, and the need for a streamlined monarchy.
Former Queen’s Press Secretary Ailsa Anderson added a warm, personal touch to the coverage. What did it imply when it was said that the Queen was the “spirit of Britain”? She was the person who would not let us down, according to Ailsa.
Inside the CNN studio, broadcaster Anderson Cooper conducteds interviews with reporters outside the palace. Only once did he misstep, when he referred to the Queen of England.
It was insensitive to remind us of Charles’s troubled personality so soon after his mother’s death.
Max Foster was an outstanding presenter, and CNN was a brilliant combination of historical analysis and a forward-looking manner.
She was asked to speak about Elizabeth, ‘the woman,’ and emphasized her friendliness, generosity (Christmas gifts were given to the workers), humor, and unending ability to find something interesting to take away from every encounter.
NBC inquired whether the Netflix series The Crown altered Americans’ perceptions of the Royals. It introduced many new admirers to ‘this dynamic young woman’ and the monarchy in general.
I imagined the production staff of the series sitting at a bar and already working on future episodes. In reality, current series development has been suspended as a mark of respect, according to writer Peter Morgan.
Andrew Roberts, a British historian, gave an energizing and impassioned contribution, particularly in relation to Charles, who he believed possessed the same “inner serenity” as his mother. A particular and welcome mention was also made of Prince Philip, “her liegeman of life and limb,” who passed away in April 2021.
Consequently, Fox News was unwatchable. Endless aerial pictures of Buckingham Palace and presenters whose primary words were ‘Er’ and ‘Umm’ gave the impression that they had to Google everything before to attempting to impart information.
Contributor Douglas Murray could only come up with, “Queen Elizabeth postponed this as much as she could.” It’s a bit more complicated than that, Doug.
This was not an easy day for anyone, including pressured broadcasting networks, but CNN reigned supreme at a heartbreaking time.