Should celebrities have greater protection from the media?
All the Yes points:
- Your private life should remain private regardless of who you are. Privacy is important because it …
- It is unfair to claim that celebrities choose this lifestyle. If you are talented at modelling, spor…
- The fact that some celebrities invite the media into their lives, does not justify abusing the priva…
- Media attention can be upsetting for both celebrities and their families. Paparazzi wait outside th…
- Media organisations use celebrities as tools to make extra profit. They know that they can sell mor…
All the No points:
Your private life should remain private regardless of who you are. Privacy is important because it …
Yes because…
Your private life should remain private regardless of who you are. Privacy is important because it allows people to develop relationships and express themselves without the whole world knowing. When people get divorced or face other difficulties, it is upsetting if the whole world can read about this in magazine and newspapers.
No because…
People choose to be celebrities. When they make this choice, they know that it will bring constant media attention. Much of their success depends on the media promoting their films or music. If they are unwilling to deal with this, they should not become celebrities.
It is unfair to claim that celebrities choose this lifestyle. If you are talented at modelling, spor…
Yes because…
It is unfair to claim that celebrities choose this lifestyle. If you are talented at modelling, sport, singing, or acting it is natural to want to profit from that talent. It is reasonable to choose a career where that talent can be recognised, rewarded and shared with others. This is no different to somebody who is good at mathematics choosing to become a banker. Your personal life should not be exposed to millions of people, just because you choose to exploit your talents.
No because…
Celebrities use the media to promote their careers. Their success often depends on their ability to stay in the public eye. Actors and footballers strive to be stars who are known and recognised worldwide. This increases the success of their films or their ability to gain well-paid sponsors. It is unreasonable, after using the media in this way, to complain when they do not like the stories published about them. The media should be able to reveal negative stories as well as positive ones.
The fact that some celebrities invite the media into their lives, does not justify abusing the priva…
Yes because…
The fact that some celebrities invite the media into their lives, does not justify abusing the privacy of all. Even where celebrities do allow the media a look into their private life, it is often just an attempt to give their side of the story after being hounded by the press. People should be able to choose the image of themselves that they show to the world.
No because…
Celebrities betray the public when they present a false image of themselves in order to sell more CDs, books, shirts, etc. It is fair to bring the truth to light. For example, if a television chef presents himself as a family man, the public deserves to know if he is having an affair. Otherwise they might buy his products on the basis of lies. Celebrities such as Britney Spears and Tiger Woods are also often role models for young people. Those young people deserve to know if their role models are less perfect than they had thought.
Media attention can be upsetting for both celebrities and their families. Paparazzi wait outside th…
Yes because…
Media attention can be upsetting for both celebrities and their families. Paparazzi wait outside their homes, jump in front of their cars, and swarm around them in public. The car crash which killed Princess Diana in 1997 was the result of attempts to escape chasing journalists. If photographers can’t earn hundreds of thousands of dollars for these pictures, they will have no reason to harass celebrities in this way.
No because…
Celebrities often use their private lives as a means of generating media attention. Jamie Oliver encouraged cameramen to film his family as part of a TV series. Similarly, Madonna promoted her children’s book with her seven-year-old daughter, Lourdes, who read extracts from the book to sick children at a hospital. It is unreasonable for celebrities to use the media when it suits them, and then complain when the public becomes interested in their families as a result.
Media organisations use celebrities as tools to make extra profit. They know that they can sell mor…
Yes because…
Media organisations use celebrities as tools to make extra profit. They know that they can sell more magazines if they have photographs of Lindsay Lohan at the beach, or a story about Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s breaking-up. It is unfair that celebrities are exploited in this way, against their will.
No because…
Celebrities make additional profits as a result of the media’s interest. The more that people see photographs of them in magazines, the more tickets or DVDs they can sell. It is not unfair for the media to make a profit out of celebrities in return.
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