Date
9-17-2026
Department
School of Communication and the Arts
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Communication (PhD)
Chair
Andrea Towers Scott
Keywords
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, British tabloid press, Daily Mail, uses and gratifications theory, media system dependency theory, reflexive thematic analysis, socio-cultural tradition, royal rota
Disciplines
Communication
Recommended Citation
Lee, Elgatha–Ethel Maria Treco-Wells, "Audience Gratifications, Tabloid Narratives, and Media Dependency: A Thematic Analysis of The Daily Mail’s Coverage of Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex (2016–2019)" (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 8906.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/8906
Abstract
This qualitative study examines The Daily Mail’s coverage of Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex, from November 2016 through December 2019. Guided primarily by uses and gratifications theory, the study uses reflexive thematic analysis to examine recurring narrative patterns across four phases: Pre-Engagement, Engagement/Wedding, Early Royalty, and Pregnancy/Birth. Media system dependency theory is used secondarily to interpret dependency-consistent patterns within a mediated royal environment where direct public access is limited. The study analyzes published tabloid articles as media artifacts and does not measure audience effects, journalistic intent, public opinion, or causal harm. Findings identify patterns of outsider construction, moral evaluation, narrative personalization, comparison, and interpretive continuity. These patterns show how The Daily Mail’s coverage constructed Meghan as a recurring tabloid subject through audience-oriented narrative structures that invited monitoring, evaluation, emotional engagement, and repeated return within the study’s stratified sample of selected articles for analysis across the examined study period.
