Prince Harry and five others seek leave to appeal dismissal of privacy claims against Associated Newspapers
Unbiased summary
Prince Harry, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, Sir Elton John, David Furnish, Elizabeth Hurley and Sadie Frost have applied to the Court of Appeal for permission to challenge Mr Justice Nicklin's July ruling dismissing their privacy claims against Associated Newspapers, publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday. The claimants alleged unlawful information gathering, including voicemail interception and blagging, but the judge found they had not proved any information was obtained unlawfully. In August, the judge ordered the claimants to pay an initial £9.54m towards the publisher's costs on an indemnity basis, with the total potentially reaching £34.5m. Associated Newspapers strongly denied the allegations and described the judgment as an overwhelming victory. A spokesperson for the claimants said they respectfully disagree with the decisions, which they consider legally and factually flawed.
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Coverage by outlet
The Guardian
left
Angle
Frames the story as a continued legal fight by prominent figures against a powerful newspaper publisher, emphasising the claimants' perspective and the scale of their potential costs.
Bias
The Guardian leads with the claimants' legal challenge and includes their statement about 'unprecedented decisions' being 'legally and factually flawed'. It gives substantial space to the claimants' allegations of unlawful methods (voicemail interception, landline tapping, blagging) and notes the judge's reasoning on lawful sourcing, but downplays the publisher's denial and the judge's finding that no unlawful information gathering was proved. The headline 'Prince Harry and others seek to challenge ruling' is neutral, but the article's emphasis on the £50m legal bill and the claimants' disagreement subtly casts the case as an ongoing struggle against a powerful entity.
BBC News
centre-left
Angle
Provides a balanced, factual account focused on the legal process and the significant financial stakes, including the judge's reasoning and the publisher's response.
Bias
BBC News is largely neutral, reporting the application to appeal, the trial outcome, and the costs order. It includes the publisher's description of the judgment as an 'overwhelming victory' and notes that Prince Harry testified but failed to prove his claims. The article is concise and avoids loaded language, though it omits some detail about the specific allegations of unlawful methods. Its coverage stays close to the objective facts.
The Independent
centre-left
Angle
Focuses on the procedural and financial aspects of the case, particularly the costs order, while giving less attention to the claimants' allegations or the publisher's denial.
Bias
The Independent highlights the £9.54m initial payment and the indemnity costs order, which are favourable to the publisher, but does not delve into the specifics of the allegations or the judge's reasoning. It includes the claimants' statement but omits the publisher's response and the judge's finding that the claims were not proved. The headline 'Prince Harry launches appeal after losing High Court battle' is neutral but slightly dramatic. The article is factual but lacks balance by not giving equal weight to the publisher's position.
i Paper
centre
Angle
Presents a straightforward, factual report on the appeal application and the costs order, with minimal editorialising.
Bias
I Paper provides a neutral account, including the claimants' statement, the judge's costs ruling, and a brief mention of the trial evidence and the publisher's defence. It does not emphasise any particular angle and stays close to the objective facts, though it could be more comprehensive in detailing the allegations and the judge's findings. Overall, it is balanced and avoids slant.
City AM
centre-right
Angle
The provided excerpt from City AM does not cover the Prince Harry story; it is about a separate legal action by Eli Lilly regarding counterfeit drug websites.
Bias
City AM's coverage is unrelated to the Prince Harry case, so it cannot be analysed for bias on this story. The excerpt is a neutral report on a different topic.
Daily Mail
right
Angle
Frames the story as a frivolous appeal by claimants who 'comprehensively lost' a 'hacking case' that was 'demolished' by the High Court, celebrating the publisher's vindication.
Bias
The Daily Mail uses highly loaded language: 'comprehensively losing', 'demolished', 'completely exonerated', 'throwing out every single one of 97 allegations', and 'inadequate case'. It emphasises the claimants' costs liability and the judge's criticism of their case, while downplaying or omitting the specifics of their allegations. It also notes that one claimant, Sir Simon Hughes, is not appealing, which subtly undermines the group's unity. The coverage strays far from neutral by adopting a triumphant tone and framing the appeal as an unreasonable continuation of a failed case.