Last weekend, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle gave some of the most strikingly candid interviews we've ever seen from members of the British royal family in their documentary, Harry & Meghan: An African Journey.
The documentary, which premiered on the UK on ITV, came amid a string of troubles with the media for the couple. Not only have the Duke and Duchess faced criticism over some of their decisions (particularly surrounding their demands for privacy), but the royal couple are currently suing British tabloids over invasive reporting tactics and inaccurate stories that have been published about them.
So, will Harry and Meghan's documentary help their case against the media? Ronn Torossian, crisis expert and CEO of 5WPR, weighed in.
When it comes to public opinion about the Sussexes, Torossian believes the doc (and Harry and Meghan's deeply honest interviews) hit all the right notes.
"This documentary does a wonderful job of showing the public that while Meghan and Harry are public figures, they are people too," he says. "Between Harry opening up about how he is still affected by his mother’s death every day and Meghan discussing the challenges of being a new mother in the spotlight, the video softened their images and made them more appealing to the everyday person."
When it comes to the couple's relationship with the press—particularly with the British tabloids—Torossian's optimism is decidedly more cautious.
"However, whether this will help change how they are portrayed in the press is a different story," he adds. "American media and social media have had a sympathetic reaction, but the British tabloids have not really softened their coverage, and have never really warmed up to Meghan as a member of the royal family. Only time will tell if this documentary has the intended effect, and brings both Meghan and Harry out back up to the standing of proper royals."
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