A car chase through a major city; a member of the British royal family pursued by paparazzi desperate for their money shot. Prince Harry and Meghan’s stressful experience trying to escape photographers Tuesday night in New York City felt all too familiar. It immediately drew comparisons to the tragic car accident that killed Princess Diana — Harry’s mother — in a similar situation. But how similar was it, really?
The incident wasn’t so much history repeating itself as it was a harbinger of the future of our economy as technology steadily changes the nature of our jobs. It was a reflection of how much the world has evolved for the paparazzi — and for all of us — not how it’s stayed the same in the 25 years since Princess Di’s death.
Technology has destroyed the economics of celebrity pictures. And the fact is, being chased and hounded by the press isn’t as common these days because it’s just not worth it for the photographers. Harry and Meghan, far from representing a persistent problem, were an unfortunate exception.
