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Judge. Journalist. Executioner


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As the news breaks that yet another "celebrity" (Caroline Flack) has lost their life in part as a result of the intense pressure of being in the media spotlight and the harsh treatment they've received at the hands of the press, with their every move and mistake being scrutinised, it begs the question how long can we allow the press to play the role of judge, jury and executioner? 

There's an argument that by being "famous" you're putting yourself in that spotlight and choosing to live your life in the glare of the cameras, and I guess it's true to an extent, but surely even the most "famous" have a right to privacy? The very same media who make so many people "famous" are also guilty of ruining or even in the extreme cases like this ending their lives, often because they've made a mistake, no longer fit the mould, or in some cases for seemingly no reason at all. Trial and death sentence by media. 😢

I can't help thinking that the press need to be held accountable for their actions, and owe a duty of care to those whose lives they decide to make the subject of intense speculation. 

To give a little context, in this particular case Caroline was a very high profile TV personality here in the UK. She was facing a criminal trial over a domestic assault incident, although the media had already played out the trial, decided on the guilty verdict and castigated her publicly - despite her partner/alleged victim standing by her. 

Despite having strongly held views around our Monarchy, all of this makes it even clearer to me why The Sussexes (Prince Harry and Meghan) have taken the decision they have to withdraw from public life - stripping out the "Royal" bit, they're effectively just celebrities like any other, and persecuted by the media in exactly the same way. Harry lost his own Mother as a result of the same press intrusion that he and his wife are now suffering, and deaths such as Caroline's show how the very real risk to anybody who the press decide are 'fare game'. 

Many children grow up answering the question "What do you want to be when you're older?" with "Famous." No, you really don't. Be anything but that. Give yourselves a chance at life.

 

Sorry for my ramblings, but despite be knowing little about Caroline as I tend not to watch TV all that much, knowing the backstory and then hearing this news today really struck a chord with me. The media are a dangerous force indeed. 

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"The media" isn't a single person.  There is no person sitting on a thrown handing down decisions about what gets covered, what doesn't, and how that coverage is approached.  For the most part, writers, journalists, editors, producers, and others who produce mass media content work mostly independently.  They report on what is trending, what people are talking about.  The internet provides real time data as far as what people are clicking on and how long they spend reading an article, and that shapes the content decisions that are made. 

What you see in the media is simply a reflection of what people are choosing to read and choosing to view.  If consumers were not making those content choices, you would see reporting take a different direction in order to capture that audience.  You cannot indict the media without also indicting the society that makes the content consumption decisions that drives what they see in the media.  If society wants a different kind of media, then it is up to everyone to make different content choices; Resist sensationalist headlines and don't spend time reading trashy articles.  Only consume the kind of media you want to see and that will force the rest of the media to change course.

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