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The death and funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales represents an important moment in British television history in terms of television news coverage of the event, viewing behaviour, and the impact of the media in shaping public perceptions. Television news coverage of the event on BBC and ITV was virtually 24 hours during the first few days of the story breaking and the estimated audience in Britain for the funeral stands at around 31 million people. The event itself, its television coverage and its public impact have become intertwined by many commentators, as the coverage’s tone is perceived as pivotal in the formation of public opinion. (See the book 'Interpreting Diana Television Audiences and the Death of a Princess' by Robert Turnock, bfi publishing). The bfi television archive collection holds material from all of the terrestrial channels on major newsworthy events which have been recorded since the birth of the medium. This includes the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 (which was a key moment in the rise of television and its history in the 1950s), coverage of conflict in the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s, the Gulf war in 1990-91, and the events of 11 September 2001. The coverage of significant world events by television news has changed significantly over time and the introduction of 24 hour dedicated news channels such as CNN and BBC News 24 has changed both the landscape of news broadcasting in the UK as well as the way events are covered and viewed on British television. |
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