Week 7 - Public Interest vs Public Prurience

The presentation topic opened up quite a discussion in the tutorial session. Where do we draw the line between public interest and privacy rights?

I believe that everyone deserves the same amount of privacy due to them - unless they personally vetoed it. Personalities, from showbiz celebrities to politicians and right now, sports athletes, are still the same as us normal lot despite their tremendously publicized ability - human. Don't they deserve the same rights to privacy both in weal and woe?

Unfortunately, this debate is only existent due to the element that killed the cat. Curiosity (or as most Singaporeans will call it, kaypoh-ness) is essentially what spurs the papers/paparazzi on to get as much news as possible. Afterall, if they don't sell their stuff, who's gonna pump the moolah in?

With that said, if the papers were to be ethically responsibly and choose not to go down the route of the paparazzi, there won't be a big demand for news of such a genre. Coming from a sports (fanatic) background, I've seen how the media has destroyed matches, tournaments and even the careers of professional players with their incessant focus on a scandal - and that is just not right. Sports personalities are only extraordinarily-talented individuals who chose to pursue their dream, not to be plunged into a Hollywood-like world.