Animal Testing

Media and Privacy 2

Do the media treat famous people unfairly? Should famous people be given more privacy? Is publicity about their private lives the price VIPs must pay for fame?

Most ordinary people respect the rights of others to a private life. However, some people are obsessed with celebrities and VIPS. They want to know everything about them, and have an insatiable desire for more information. This essay will discuss whether newspapers and TV should show us intimate details of famous people’s lives.

Famous people deserve privacy and respect. First of all, we should admire what they do, not who they are. If someone is a famous singer or footballer, we should enjoy their talent on the pitch or at a concert, but we should not invade their family or private life through the media. Secondly, the children and family of famous people should not be affected. Some stars have to hire security for their children or spouses because of media attention. Another point is that too much attention can affect celebrities. They begin to act strangely and lose touch with reality.

Although, generally speaking, the media should not interfere in people’s private lives, there are times when it is correct to do so. If a politician is becoming very rich, the media should investigate where the money is coming from. If a businessman is committing a crime, the public should know. It is also fair for the media to show contradictions between a famous people’s private and public lives. A further point is that media such as TV or papers are meeting a demand. We can make the media accountable by not buying rubbishy magazines or watching sensationalist programs.

In conclusion, the responsibility lies with us, the consumers. We should treat celebrities the way we would like to be treated—with respect, and we should treat trashy media with the scorn it deserves.

284 words