What role did the tabloids play in Diana's death?

It's now 10 years since Diana's death in a high speed car crash in Paris, which also claimed the lives of Dodi Al Fayed and the driver Henry Paul. What role did the Paris paparazzi and indeed the media play in the accident? This question has been much debated over the past decade. This week Phil Hall, the then editor of "News of the World" admitted the media had some responsibility for her death. He said "if the paparazzi hadn't been following her, the car wouldn't have been speeding and, the accident may never have happened. A big Diana story could add 150,000 sales. So we were all responsible". Ten years after Diana's death the media interest in the People's Princess has not diminished.

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Tags ethics, media, press, princess diana, tabloids, united kingdom

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Diana was of course a dream come true for the tabloid press in Britain. More so than anyone else in the British royal family, the life of Diana generated endless public interest. Sweden also has a monarchy, but it's quite a different story there. The Swedish royal family is not the scandal ridden House of Windsor and the Swedish media has a very different relationship with its royals. 

Celebrity gossip, big brash headlines, paparazzi pictures and lots of nudes, those are all trademarks of British tabloids. But another recurring topic the tabloids love to hate is the European Union - or the so-called Euromyths. You might say Brussels bunkum if you're British. Anthony Gooch is the Head of Media at the Representation of the European Commission in London and his mission is to fight these so-called Euromyths. 

Britain no doubt is the hot spot for tabloids, but actually it's Germany that has Europe’s biggest tabloid: BILD - which means picture. With a daily readership of 11 and a half million, Bild has enormous influence, and politicians know it’s the best way to reach the masses. But its tabloid character isn’t for everyone. 

Bild had ambitious plans to expand in neighbouring France. But a few weeks ago the publishing house Axel Springer decided to shelve its plans to develop France's biggest newspaper - and also the country's first tabloid. France does have weekly tabloid magazines such as Paris Match or Gala, but not a daily tabloid newspaper. 

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