2011.01.20 Should public figures expect to lose their privacy?

 (2011-01-20 20:43:17)

Topic :  Public figures such as actors, politicians, and athletes should expect people to be interested in their private lives. When they seek a public role, they should expect that they will lose at least some of their privacy.

Should public figures expect to lose their privacy?

Are public figures entitled to a private life? As a matter of fact, a great number of actors, politicians, and athletes need the faithful support from common people from all walks of life. So if one has the desire to be under the spotlight, he is required to show some episodes of his private life, catching the eyeballs of the mass. Moreover, living in a society of voyeurs, men living a mundane life are inquisitive to scandalous news revealing private mistakes or sexual secrets of public figures. Nevertheless, men’s concern on private news serves as a guardian on the acts and deeds of public servants or high government officials, at the same time, men’s hobby of buying tabloids which mainly tell about the unrevealed matters of celebrities, contributes to the prosperous development of newspaper industry.

Political figures, working and serving for people, are asked to lose some of their privacy, in case of going off the rails. After all, some public servants in China, especially those who wield influential political power, may show white flag to the appeal of a large amount of fortunes. Wen Qiang, for instance, the former top justice official in the southwestern city of Chongqing, was accused of taking more than 16million yuan ($2.3m) in bribes from businesses official and criminal gangs in exchange for asylum from law. According to China Daily, Mr. Wen failed to account for both his cash and assets. Even it is reported later that he owned a magnificent villa in the countryside. If the corruption is not published, men are unable to hear of this appalling issue. And it is out of men’s imagination how much grey income he would finally obtain if the public hasn’t paid an eye on him. The scandal not only became the front-page news on China Daily but prompted the central government’s concern with the corruption under the ruling Communist Party of China. Also consider anther report on a historical event—Watergate scandal, which culminated in the first resignation of a U.S. president and finally revealed the involvement of many high officials in the land. Thus, the role of newspaper is, of course, incomparable and irreplaceable, for the reports from it not only inform a large quantity of people of the lately news but expose some serious matters which do not draw government’s attention at the very beginning.

As for most popular stars, in modern society, they earn large sums of money and live a well-off and dignified life. In contrast, men who striving on dull trifles show their fancy on stars’ romantic love and affairs as a way to shave off boredom. Quite a number of the adolescent, tend to flit from story to story on tabloids so as to find some interesting topics about public figures. Especially, the idling housewives, who are not interested in political issues, are hooked on a clutch of inexpensive news papers that are heavy on scandals. In Brazil, for example, five of Brazil’s top ten papers are tabloids, according to the article from English Digest. Also in China, common people are likely to be staunch followers of popular singers or actors, and to be curious about their private life. Even some fans choose to do as their ideals do, dressing in the same style and behaving in the same manner with them. At last, these followers are occupied with the cult of notable persons so that lose themselves. Nevertheless, men are their own supporter. As long as men find their goals worthy of relentless pursuit, they would encourage themselves all the way. One day they can carve a nice little niche for themselves. Thus, the suggestion for all of modern voyeurs is to enrich their life by learning more valuable knowledge, not to be wholly onlookers at other famous ones’ plays. 

Another factor is the competitive newspaper industry that enforces reporters, or may favorably be called the paparazzi, to follow furtively men of renown so as to wrest out scandalous news about them. For the most part, media are run by shareholders in corporation. In order to maximize the profits of corporation, entertainment reporters are stressed to find out some eye-catching issues of celebrities. As a matter of fact, the more paper’s coverage on the private life of celebrities, the more circulation the paper would reach. If the circulation of news paper is desirable, both reporters and investors would gain a large number of profits. However, when one journalist cannot find out as enough secret information based on impeccable sources, he may be put to his trumps, for his work cannot satisfy his boss. Finally, in spite of his unwillingness to hoax readers, he conjures up some faulty news based on handy related materials. As for such deeds, he is going against the basic moral principle of being trustworthy, since the unreliable news created by him misleads the pure and innocent readers, in the meantime tarnish the reputation of notable ones. Therefore, under any circumstances, reporters are not required to make conjectures in the sacrifice of losing their integrity.

Admittedly, intense public concern on the life of public figures may lead to undesirable consequences. Yet, without journalists who present uncovered but fascinating facts about public ones, especially singers, actors, and politicians, they may be not known by common people, let alone being famous. So long as the journalist presents true and impartial reports on notable persons, people would have a better understanding of their ideals.