Should the Press have Endless Freedom?
...ed to her death. I also think that the press try and make trivial things sound more important than they actually are. A few months ago, there was a front page article about David Beckham wearing a sarong to a party. Later on in the same paper, there was a report about a train crash, in which many people were killed. I think that this is implying that David Beckham wearing a sarong is more important than people’s lives and this shows a lack of respect for the victims. If I were a relative of one of the victims, I would be very angry and upset. Another example of this is happening at the moment ; the war in Kosovo is falling off many of the front pages. I think that everybody has a right to a private life, and becoming famous for having a talent should be rewarding instead of ruining famous people’s private lives. When they are in the public eye (e.g. a footballer on the football pitch), I think that they have a responsibility to behave sensibly, as these people are many people’s heroes and are often looked up to and copied by millions. However, what they get up to in their private lives, I think, is entirely up to them and should not concern millions of other people all over the country. I do not think that the average person has the right to know how many pints of beer Paul Gasgoine drank last night. The bad points outweigh the good These are some of the points people make in defence of the press:- Most people want to know all the scandals. People need to know what is going on in the world. The press put pressure on famous people to behave better and set a better example. The press highlight issues that need discussing. Famous people can use the press to their advantage (e.g. Princess Diana getting across her message about how dangerous minefields are, the damage that they can cause to people and the restrictions that these injuries can put on the everyday lives of the victims). If the press weren’t allowed their freedom, it would damage the public right of freedom of speech. These are the answers which I think outweigh the arguments for freedom of the press:- I think that there is a huge difference between what people want to know and what people have the right to know. I don’t think that the average person would like it if every time they stepped out of line, did anything remotely wrong, or had any secrets, the whole world got to know about every detail. I agree people have the right to know what is going on in the world, but I don’t think that this should extend to people’s private lives. I do not think that it is always the case that people behave better when they are famous, because it can be a challenge to see how much you can get away with and some people want to be looked at as rebels, becau...