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Piccadilly Pulse: Do you think the media coverage of the Royal baby was overkill?

By Amber Haque

As a patriotic Great Britain welcomed George Alexander Louis into the world, am you being  a rubbish citizen for you’re sick of ‘royal baby fever’?

The sea of camera lenses were all excruciatingly fixated on the hospital entrance like it was the stairway to heaven… as we were super-glued to our TV screens from every corner of the Earth.

Everyone refused to be ‘that family member who goes to make the tea,’ eagerly awaiting the first glimpse of our prophetic mini-Royal.

Media moguls claim they were merely filling the bellies of their hungry audience with the around-the-clock rolling coverage.

It’s been reported that despite it being the second largest UK day ever for the BBC News Online team with 19.4 million visitors, the institution received around 348 complaints about overkill and sycophancy.

We took to the streets of Manchester to find out YOUR opinions on whether it all went a step too far with the Baby Windsor obsession…

Did the media coverage of the Royal Baby go into overkill?

Options Results
Yes 76%
No 24%

 

Sean Crowther, 24, Investment Consultant from Manchester

“It’s a proud day for the nation so I’m not surprised it got the craze that it did – the BBC as the broadcaster for the nation had a duty to provide the coverage of our future king, and they did.”

George, 19, mechanic from Trafford

“Never thought a woman popping out a baby could cause life to stop… one guy at work told me his wife took the day off just to sit and watch it non-stop!”

Nicky, 22, student from Fallowfield

“Turned on Sky News and all it was was a presenter reeling off facts we knew a week ago over a stationery image of a hospital door – talk about a waste of air time!!”

Jake Coleman, 34, call centre worker from Worsley

“Was all a bit OTT wasn’t it really – the excitement and mad panic just over her mum going to visit her… It’s her mum, is it really that bloody shocking!??”

Jen Fitton, 21, student from Sale

“Surely the weirdest media obsession was whether he was circumcised or not…. Who cares!??”

Yasser Ahmed, 23, writer from Rochdale

“There’s kids dying all over the world in places like Syria and Africa, yet one baby gets more acknowledgement in a minute of being born than the world will EVER pay to those silent suffering children. Where was the coverage of them?”

David Seddon, 29, solicitor from Withington

“The world just loves to be nosey don’t they… and the media gives them what they want. From the second she went in, to the first sight of the baby, was just a bit voyeuristic..”

Susan, 54, teacher from Chorlton

“This country isn’t patriotic enough- it was the birth of our country’s future and it’s important for our kids to see it in full and be inspired to be proud – we had a barbecue and a party at ours!”

Bob, 56, builder from Middleton

“It’s all gone a bit barmy if you ask me – it’s nice n all but I really don’t want it plastered all over my telly when the kid has his first wee in a potty or learns to say Grandma Lizzy!”

Jasmin Rahman, 52, Mum from Didsbury

“It really was a touching moment to feel the atmosphere and excitement even though we weren’t there in London. It was a momentous occasion that shapes our country and deserves the attention it got.”

Picture courtesy of TSAI Project, with thanks.

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