This is why it was so easy for the wrong news of King Charles death to be broadcast

King Charles was in the middle of a visit to Northern Ireland
when people in another part of his realm were told, wrongly, that
he had died. On a sunny May morning, the audience of Radio Caroline
heard the music stop and a sombre announcement intone that Charles
III was no more. The mistake was realised fairly quickly, an
apology was issued and much confirmation that The King was still
alive and well was given through the day. It wasn’t enough to stop
the story going viral, though. And the protocols for preparing for
the death of the Monarch explain why this mistake happened so
readily.

Every broadcaster in the country has a procedure in place for
dealing with the moment that the Monarch dies. In this case, a
computer glitch is believed to have started the protocol running.
Radio Caroline’s audience was enjoying ‘What’s Up?’ by 4 Non
Blondes when the music stopped, indicating something was, indeed,
up.

Instead of the 1990s hit, listeners heard a solemn voice
announce that The King had died. This was followed by the National
Anthem and a full 15 minutes of silence before someone got wind of
the incorrect announcement and activated The King Is Not Dead
proceedings. In this case, multiple references to Charles III being
very much alive and well.

However, the incident has highlighted one of the downsides of
being Monarch. Everyone is ready for your death, from the moment
you become king or queen. On September 8 2022, broadcasters around
the world were on standby for the death of Queen Elizabeth II after
Buckingham Palace issued a statement saying her doctors were
concerned for her health. In this instance, media was waiting for
the official announcement which, as that afternoon wore on, seemed
increasingly likely to come. As soon as Buckingham Palace announced
the death of Elizabeth II, in a short statement at 6.30pm, the long
planned broadcasts covering her death started to take over the
airwaves.

However, broadcasters and publishers have to be ready for
unexpected announcements, too. And that is why emergency protocols
are in place. They differ from outlet to outlet but anyone with an
audience or readership has a plan in place to announce major,
breaking news such as the death of a Monarch. Given the solemnity
of the occasion, and the fact that the UK will experience an
automatic change in Head of State, it’s formalised and
practised.

Usually, an announcement is made that normal broadcasting is
interrupted and a short statement confirming that the Palace has
announced the death follows. The National Anthem is then played and
regular programming disappears as reporting turns to the news of a
death.

And that’s easy to follow when the death is anticipated. But
when it’s not expected, broadcasters have to be ready to move
instantly. When Diana, Princess of Wales died in August 1997, media
had to quickly turn to their emergency protocols. Once on air, they
were waiting for confirmed sources to tell them the latest as Diana
was treated in hospital. The announcement of her death, in the
early hours of August 31 following a car crash, was a shock and
triggered the implementation of more emergency broadcasting
protocols.

In this instance, all was resolved very quickly. But it was also
a reminder in an age where media is growing all the time, of the
perils that face established broadcasters and publishers. A big
news story like this has to be right and if it’s not, plenty will
tell you about it afterwards. In this instance, it was a computer
glitch that caused the trouble. Something triggered the automatic
playing of the protocol around the death of a Monarch and no doubt
those in charge of Radio Caroline immediately made sure it could
never happen again.

But it’s a reminder, too that when social media is broadcasting,
sharing and publishing all the time, a rumour can take hold very
quickly. And that’s something all broadcasters and publishers have
to be aware of when it comes to this protocol.