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Princess Diana was a mere mortal. She died, somewhat tragically. The English speaking world spent the next month or so producing mournful eulogies and tributes that, if you took them on face value, would make you believe that Diana was the most compassionate person, the most giving person, the most spiritual person _ever_ to walk this earth. Elton John even rewrote a quite classic piece of music, improved it not a dot, and proceeded to break records with its sales. I'm not saying that Diana wasn't a good person who deserved to be mourned, but we went a little over the top.
Similarly with Hunter S. Thompson.
My personal note on the topic to demonstrate the excessive amount of press coverage would be to compare the flood of articles and obits for HST to the amount that we gave Reagan. (make sure you check the press for the entire English speaking world, not just America(I'm Australian and I read a fair swag of American and English news sources. YMMV)). Then make a mental comparison of the significance of the two men.

My personal note on the topic to demonstrate the excessive amount of press coverage would be to compare the flood of articles and obits for HST to the amount that we gave Reagan.

Good analysis, but on one level you're comparing apples and oranges. The coverage of Thompson's demise has been almost universally adulatory, worshipful even, while most of the coverage worldwide of President Reagan's death was unrelentingly hostile and even hateful.

The American MSM had to tone it down a lot, since there was such an outpouring of love of and mourning for President Reagan (something they were totally unprepared for, BTW), but even in the "smiley face" coverage they gave, you all too often saw the contempt and hatred they held for him peeking around the edges.

The non-American media, of course, had no such restraints and let the Reagan-bashing run unfettered.