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Saturday, September 21, 2002
Private acts, public scandal: How to avoid a bad press
By Mayette Q. Tabada
Public figures who don’t want their reputations, and ambitions, savaged in a media frenzy should never forget they live, as Tennessee Williams puts it, in a glass cage.
Individuals who claim a degree of public prominence, either through position or special circumstance (like actors and instant celebrities), have to be careful, even in their personal behavior, not to be caught in the act of committing, or even be accused of committing, any wrongdoing.
One act automatically triggering immediate media attention is physical violence, even if the circumstances seemingly justify the display of this extreme behavior.
Many high-profile stories have involved public figures who, unable to restrain their tempers or for no apparent reason, physically lashed out at their victims.
Media’s reportage of these acts is justified when the public’s right to know outweighs the individual’s right to privacy. From prominent persons commanding a lot of respect from the public is also expected a code of conduct and reputation that bears up to scrutiny. Scandalous and aberrant behavior also has the qualities of drama and conflict, which ascribe the act with a high degree of newsworthiness.
This makes it difficult for any media institution to ignore it.
Even resulting follow-ups where the involved parties “air their sides” only prolong the unwanted publicity.
Privacy boundaries
But expectations for people in the news to be self-restrained should also apply to media.
Bob Steele of the Poynter Institute writes that journalists must balance the often contradictory concerns of public good and individual personal privacy. (www.poynter.org)
Media needs to be self-critical especially when the coverage involves ordinary citizens accidentally thrust into prominence, such as victims in a tragedy or public scandal.
Steele advises jour-nalists to ask themselves these questions before writing or using the story:
u What is my purpose for seeking and making public this information?
u Does the public have a justifiable need to know? Or is it only some people who want this information?
u How much protection does this person deserve? Is s/he a public official, public figure or celebrity? Is the person prominent by choice or chance?
u What is the extent of personal harm committed through this invasion of privacy?
u Have I taken the side of the person who will bear the brunt of negative publicity?
u Is there an alternative way of reporting that minimizes the violation of the per-son’s right of privacy? Are there private matters that may be left out while still accurately and fairly reporting the story?
u Can I focus more on an issue involving system failures rather than on personal limitations, which may turn out to be one-time mistakes?
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