"MEGXIT" MOTIVATIONS: A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF ROYAL COVERAGE IN BRITISH TABLOIDS

Currently under embargo - Full Text Unavailable. Abstract: The discourse surrounding UK tabloid coverage of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex is heaving with debate as to whether coverage elements contained a racist narrative. While there is ongoing debate as to what constitutes racism, an operative assumption formulated in academic interpretation of modern racism has guided this study. This study aims to determine the extent to which racism occurred in UK tabloid coverage of Meghan Duchess of Sussex. Thirty-three online stories from The Sun, The Mirror and Daily Mail were selected for a content analysis using Bengtsson's 2016 method for coding. The results indicate that stories in the Daily Mail were found to be the least conducive to fostering a racist narrative and stories in The Sun were found to be the most conducive to fostering a racist narrative. Finally, while majority coverage did not contain elements conducive to fostering a racist narrative, the research uncovered racist elements including microaggressions.