So apparently Tiger Woods may or may not have been cheating on his wife. How in the world is that my business? How is it your business? Is it interesting? I suppose so in a sort of train wreck sort of way. But not everything that is interesting is any body else’s business.
Angelina and Brad may or may not be having family troubles. Likewise Tom and Katie according to differing tabloids. How is that my business?
Right to know or right to privacy? When in doubt I lean towards privacy. The news media is probably the most hypocritical society in the world. According to them you have a right to know everything. Well except you have no right to know their sources. Or how they work things internally. Or their private affairs.They protect their own usually.
But getting back to Tiger, Brad and Tom. Sure they are public people with a very public job. That gives me a right (probably) to know what golf tournaments they play in, what movies they star in, and what public appearances they are making. It doesn’t give me any rights into their bedrooms.
I wish the media would let people have private lives. I can’t imagine but that a lot of this tabloid media so-called journalism is really more about making news (or making up news) than reporting news. The added stress caused by speculative and imaginative “reporting” probably kills as many relationships as any other outside influence.
And it benefits no one but the media who makes money selling sensationalism. There is little doubt in my mind that much of it is harmful to the reader as well as to the victims of the “reporting.” It shatters illusions, encourages others to emulate bad behavior, and encourages people to try to take advantage of others for fame and attention. Bah!