No one wants to read a dull story. And as much as we all wish to appear educated and well-rounded, reading an article on the latest financial boom or enquiring into the latest political movement can often leave us in a state of boredom, (they aren’t exactly the most riveting of pieces). Unless you do get excited by things like Tesco’s latest profit margins, then for that, I apologise.
The reality is that our attention is often governed by something of interest. As a human myself I can openly admit that when reading a story, I feed on something juicy. Maybe somewhat morbid, or full of action or even something naughty from time to time. But isn’t that just human interest?
However, I have recently been considering my views on what makes a good story. Some stories are perfect for the public eye but looking deeper I have began to wonder just how ethical some of these ‘stories of interest’ actually are. For example, one recent scandal saw the exposure of Brooks Newmark and his paisley pyjamas plastered across the national papers. I’m sure for many of the public, seeing the MP revealed in this light was a little disturbing but nonetheless incredibly funny. Although such a story strikes a ‘great’ response, I can’t help but feel somewhat uncomfortable with the idea that the media had used this man’s private obscenities to provoke a reaction from the public.
And although this story may be counted as something of human interest, can it really be moral and ethical to expose this persons private affairs to the rest of the world to create a stir? If you ask me, I think that’s pretty crap. But of course the media has such freedom to say and publish whatever they want. And for the majority of the time, I think this is pretty fabulous. But at the back of my mind I can’t help but remember that these individuals are continuously held under scrutiny at the extent of getting a ‘good’ story. How can we justify damaging the face of an individual as ethical? …But society continues to look past this.
Vicky Crossley Blogs 