So the Queen Mum isn't dead then? Posted Fri Sep 7 09:39:17 BST 2001 by 'Anonymous'

Last time I put my faith in Internet gossip and rumour mongering then.

Subject: Re: So the Queen Mum isn't dead then? [ Previous Message ]
Posted By mrdiscopop on Fri Sep 7 10:18:36 BST 2001:

All the presenters on News 24 are wearing black suits this morning.

And, to quote a friend at Broadcasting House, "World At One have been running around anticipating the grim reaper all morning"

So it's not just the internet...

Just in case, I've been checking out the procedures for World Service. Apparently every language stream comes together for the announcement. Then they play sombre music, repeating the announcement every 2/3 minutes. After 67 minutes (and no longer than 15 minutes) they play the official Queen Mum Obituary CD, with a programme by Nicholas Witchell looking back at her life.

After that, coverage is 'relaxed' although sombre music should be played at regular intervals.


Slightly different from the three weeks of programmes and mourning that used to be planned...

Subject: Re: So the Queen Mum isn't dead then? [ Previous Message ]
Posted By mrdiscopop on Fri Sep 7 10:29:41 BST 2001:

>After 67 minutes (and no longer than 15 minutes) they play the official Queen Mum Obituary CD


That'll be 6 - 7 minutes, obviously.

Subject: Re: So the Queen Mum isn't dead then? [ Previous Message ]
Posted By Unruly Butler on Fri Sep 7 11:50:26 BST 2001:

I was wondering whether an internet rumour could infect the "respectable" news media - to the extent that they had all heard murmurings off the net to be ready for something, and so began preparing for an announcement. Then the rumour would gather credence because everyone inside those news media would e-mail their friends saying "something's definitely up - everyone here's gearing up to run the obits".

So a net rumour passes through the "real world" of newsgathering and gets sent back onto the net with a dose of news credibilty.

People forget that those who work in traditional news media are as susceptible to rumour and gossip as anyone else.

Assuming the old bat hasn't actually carked it yet, that seems to be what happened yesterday... Everyone I mailed who worked in journalism or wire services or TV seemed to be ready to run with the story, on scant evidence. But the fact that they were ready to go appeared to be evidence enough in itself.

Subject: Re: So the Queen Mum isn't dead then? [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'grrr' on Fri Sep 7 12:11:34 BST 2001:

Isn't this the kind of thing that used to be restricted to the Soviet Union?

There are two options: firstly that they have her on ice until the most propitious moment to announce it (after all the football matches, slow news day, mid-afternoon to make sure that the teatime news programmes cover it properly), or alternatively it's just an experiment to see how long they can keep a single human being alive, in which case this could drag on for years.

I liked that ITN link yesterday: "No Fears for QM's Health". She's 101 years old. The idea that she's bouncing with health is much scarier than that she's about to drop off her perch.

Subject: Re: So the Queen Mum isn't dead then? [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'Bob Honey' on Fri Sep 7 12:14:01 BST 2001:

I'm working in the media research department of a PR company, and all morning people have been coming in and asking me if the QM is dead. You'd think the news would have mentioned the rumours and how well she is if it wasn't true.

Subject: Re: So the Queen Mum isn't dead then? [ Previous Message ]
Posted By Mogwai on Fri Sep 7 13:00:39 BST 2001:

> You'd think the news would have mentioned the rumours and how well she is if it wasn't true.

http://www.itn.co.uk/news/20010906/britain/06queenmother.shtml

http://www.reuters.co.uk/news_article.jhtml;jsessionid=IWCOZAFIHV5ZQCRBAEZSFEYKEEATGIWD?type=topnews&StoryID=201998

Subject: Re: So the Queen Mum isn't dead then? [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'Bob Honey' on Fri Sep 7 13:08:02 BST 2001:

Hmm. Yeah, apart from those.

Subject: Re: So the Queen Mum isn't dead then? [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'A. Pooter' on Sun Sep 9 03:40:53 BST 2001:

Nick Cohen describes Operation Lion here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/Print/0,3858,4234038,00.html

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