The BBC released a statement in response to complaints from people who felt its coverage of Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, announcing her cancer diagnosis was “excessive and insensitive,” the British public broadcaster said.
The royal announced in a video released on March 22—which was filmed by BBC Studios—that she had been diagnosed with an undisclosed type of cancer following tests conducted after a planned abdominal surgery in January. After the procedure, Kensington Palace had announced she would be absent from the public eye until at least Easter, but the uncertainty about her health led to a media and public frenzy before her cancer diagnosis announcement.
The BBC’s statement in response to criticism of its coverage, released April 5 on its complaints website, read: “We broadcast in full the highly personal video message from the Princess of Wales, in which she spoke directly to the public about her cancer diagnosis. Our coverage reflected the significance of this story and the outpouring of support for the princess from around the globe. We explained to our audience what was known about Catherine’s condition, but did not speculate on details that had not been made public.”
The broadcaster said its reporting “made clear that this is a difficult khbrknews for the princess and the rest of the royal family; we have been mindful at all times to approach our coverage with sensitivity.”
The news organization said that it examined the “intense speculation” about Kate’s health in the weeks preceding her announcement and reported on her request for privacy and the statement from Kensington Palace detailing her right for medical privacy.
“We always give careful consideration to the editorial decisions we make. While we have a responsibility to report on stories that are of interest to our audience, we appreciate that not everyone would have approved of the approach we took,” the BBC concluded.
The BBC produces fortnightly reports…
