Prince Harry, Elton John, and several other high-profile figures have filed a lawsuit against UK tabloid, Associated Newspapers. This has gained significant media attention as the lawsuit alleges that Associated Newspapers was responsible for “abhorrent criminal activity and gross breaches of privacy” in its efforts to obtain personal information about celebrities.

On March 27, Prince Harry and Elton John’s court pre-trial hearings took off when the duo made an appearance in court, generating considerable media attention towards the case despite not being obligated to attend.

As the matter is gaining significant traction, Real Research, an online survey app, launched a survey on Prince Harry and Elton John’s high-profile lawsuit against the UK tabloid to gain insights into public opinion on the matter. Here are the findings from the survey.

Key Highlights

  • 17.45% read tabloids but take their stories with a grain of salt.
  • 42.01% feel Prince Harry, Elton John, and other high-profile figures are likely to prevail in the lawsuit against UK tabloid, Associated Newspapers.
  • 43.92% feel that Prince Harry’s accusations against Buckingham Palace are likely true, but there is no concrete evidence.

To begin with, 75.32% are revealed to be aware of Prince Harry, Elton John, and several other figures suing publisher Associated Newspapers for the unlawful gathering of private information. Whereas, 24.68% are unaware.

The Lawsuit Against Associated Newspapers–Justified or Unjustified?

Next, the survey attempts to gauge whether the lawsuit against UK tabloid, Associated Newspapers is justified. Up to 38.38% feel it is somewhat justified, with 27.74% saying it is highly justified. Moreover, 17.51% argue to say it is somewhat unjustified, and 2.6% say it is highly unjustified.

Fig 1 Is the lawsuit justified or unjustified
Fig 1: Is the lawsuit justified or unjustified?

Tabloids such as newspapers, magazines, etc. mainly thrive on sensational celebrity news. These tend to have considerable effects on culture and society. Respondents were asked their opinions on the same. 17.45% occasionally read the tabloids, but take the news with a grain of salt. Moreover, 15.28% think tabloids are unreliable and often spread misinformation. A further 14.7% think tabloids devalue the privacy of the people they write stories about.

Others say they don’t have an opinion on tabloids (14.06%), and enjoy reading the tabloids (11.22%).

Prince Harry Accusing Buckingham Palace

There are multiple speculations about the accuracy of the accusations that Prince Harry has made against Buckingham Palace. 43.92% feel the accusations are likely to be true, but there is no evidence to prove it.

32.49% feel the accusations are likely to be true. 11.42% contradict this, saying that the accusations are false and without merit.

Who Is Likely to Win the Lawsuit?

The survey then prompts respondents’ opinions on who is most likely to win the lawsuit against UK tabloid. 42.01% predict that the Claimants, that is, Prince Harry, Elton, and the other high-profile individuals, would win the lawsuit.

Fig 2 Who will win the lawsuit
Fig 2: Who will win the lawsuit?

In contrast, 27.32% feel the Defendants, Associated Newspapers, would win the lawsuit. Meanwhile, 30.67% remain unsure.

The Aftermath of The Claimants Winning the Case

In the event that the Claimants win the case, respondents predict specific outcomes; 24.98% say that this case will set a precedent for future cases involving the gathering and dissemination of private information.

A further 19.37% feel the Defendants would be required to change their policies and procedures for handling private information.

Whereas, 17.01% feel the Defendants will be forced to pay the damages to the Claimants. And finally, 15.96% allege that the case will have no significant impact on the media industry or public opinion.

The Aftermath of The Defendants Winning the Case

Fig 3 Outcomes of the Defendants winning the case
Fig 3: Outcomes of the Defendants winning the case

In contrast, should the Defendants win the case, 24.05% predict that the case will set a precedent for media companies to continue to gather and publish private information.

21.99% also feel the Defendants’ practices for gathering private information will be deemed lawful, ethical, and permissible. 15.03% feel the Claimants will be required to pay the Defendants’ legal fees.

Finally, 16.48% say the case will have no significant impact on the media industry or public opinion.

Overall, this Real Research survey sheds light on the importance of privacy and the ramifications of violating that privacy. Furthermore, the survey also revealed that the Claimants will likely win the lawsuit against the Defendants, Associated Newspapers.

Methodology

 
Survey TitlePublic Opinion on Prince Harry and Elton John’s Lawsuit Against UK Tabloid
DurationApril 04 – April 12, 2023
Number of Participants10,000
DemographicsMales and females, aged 21 to 99
Participating Countries Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, China (Hong Kong) China (Macao), China (Taiwan), Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Greanada, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Libya, Lithuania, Malaysia, Maldives, Maluritania, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar [Burma], Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zimbabwe.