Gossip

One of the most pressing current communication issues is the debate over whether journalists who reveal the lives of the rich and famous to the world are slanderous or simply expressing their right to freedom of speech. The tabloids are under constant scrutiny by our society. We consume the work of these journalists and then later judge them for the conclusions of their work. The famous that are the focus of such article are constantly in dispute of whether such pieces found in the tabloids should be considered slander. This has become a common theme in court rooms finding stars vs. journalist debating whether the rich and famous lives can legally be revealed to the world. There are questions that must be answered to better understand this dilemma. When do you give up your right to privacy? What fact, event, or job justifies such exploitation? How many facts do journalists have to produce before publishing their work? Should Journalist be required to reveal the sources of their facts? These questions are what fuel this debate. Government prosecutors and lawmakers threaten journalist with prison if they don’t give up their sources and notes and stop exposing embarrassing secrets. This is particularly true when the famous whose lives are revealed are politically involved. Where is the line drawn? Right now it is unclear and almost invisible?