The claws of paparazzi

Dear fellow ILites,

Oflate, it is increasingly becoming a trend among media - both print and visual - to sensationalise a personal tragedy. Scarlett Keating / Arushi / Padmapriya 's photos are splashed across the front pages and their lives are minutely analysed by the media. The source for all these stories are usually dubious and what people say is also usually twisted by the media to suit their theory.

Media's role in a society is to bring news and views to the people. Though views can be biased, the news should be the facts. But in the race for popularity rating, the views / theories and sensational stories take the front page than the actual facts. In that process, the lives of the people in the news are torn apart and analysed by all and sundry. Isn't it morally wrong? I particularly was very offended at the way media handled Fiona Keating. A mother, who was coping with the loss of a daughter, for whatever faults she had (and who are we to point fingers at her; whatever Scarlett's character was, her killing cannot be justified) - definitely did not deserve this treatment. This kind of journalism is definitely not helping in solving the cases also.

To be fair, media played a great role in getting justice for Jessica Lall but isn't things going too ugly now? How would the family feel? Imagine the plight of children of Padmapriya who have to go to school? Media should draw a line as to where they should stop - where they start treading into the personal lives of people / where they start theorizing / where they blindly publish all hear-says about the person. Journalism is not about sensationalizing - it is about sensitising. I sincerely hope that this paparazzi culture is killed as early as possible, with support from readers and viewers (of the media).

Sumathy

I agree with you whole heartedly. Media is throwing so much muck on the issue, giving it ugly turns. It is not clean journalism, anyways what is clean today. The more murk you splash the more popular you become. After few days people will forget Aarushi as they have forgotten bigger murders and murderers and life will move on. Has the media ever mentioned about the family of the bomb blast victims!! What about the accident victim who is the only bread earning member of the family? Why does such news reflect for only a day and disappers. The list is endless if we try to discuss..

I totally agree with you