Celebrity and Privacy

ARGAYUDHA PRIMARIDHA 105110103111006 Gossip and celebrities daily life continually showed by media either printed media or electric media. Their privacy has been reaped off. There is almost no single day of celebrities without being watched. Infotainment and weekly celebrity magazines always full with story of celebrities life. Their lives are not theirs, but those are things that make them different from ordinary people. Celebrities have popularities and influences. What they get is comparable with what they lose. People look at them as stars. It is also possible if their life can bring spirit to their fans. Private life for celebrity is a difficult thing to get because it is one thing that must be sacrificed for their popularities. Some people may think that news about gossip and celebrities daily life is the worst news and not important. There are many programs such as infotainment that shows us about a daily life of celebrities, and so what? Is it beneficial? Each people have their own daily life. So, why must people watch other peoples life? It is not important. However infotainment brings balances to news industry. Imagine, if every day the news is only about crimes and politics. It must be boring. People need some news that can entertain them. That is why people need infotainment that have purpose to entertain people. As Westhaver (2011) said about the purpose of entertainment, to entertain you so as to grab your attention and interest (para. 1). Even television station that focus in news such as Metro TV in Indonesia, have special rubric for entertainment and the informant is celebrities (harianto, 2009). Infotainment about celebrities privates life and gossip are important because it balances in news industry. Celebrities have a hard life. First, they have no privacy. Then, sometimes media use bad treatments to get information from them such as forcing and spying. For example there is journalist who called paparazzi. They look out information about celebrities by spying them. Celebrities are also a normal human. They have right and somehow, they need privacy. But this is the consequence of being a celebrity. Celebrity is the main attraction of infotainment

(romeltea, 2010). Thats why media is more interesting with celebrity then other famous people such as politicians. Media only did what they should do. Even in Norway, paparazzi are legal. They are stealing picture from celebrity for weekly celebrity magazines because it is as popular as infotainment on television. Lane (2007) said that, weekly celebrity magazines are continuing to grow (para. 8). Celebrities earn their money from popularity; media earn money from documenting celebrities daily life. Actually, media will not use bad treatments to get information if the celebrities themselves can cooperate with media. Infotainment journalists have rules. They have principle that they hold. If celebrities can cooperate with the media, there will be no bad treatment from the media itself. Infotainment consistently shows private life of celebrities. They often show gossip that might damage the celebrities name itself. Media never think the consequences of their news to the celebrities. What they only care is how their shows get a good rating. It is even worse that our community is consciously getting excited with the gossip about celebrities. However media is not fully wrong. Media did not make a gossip, but they only make news from gossip in community and did not make a new gossip (romeltea, 2010). Sometimes, the news is about the happy life of the celebrities itself such as wedding or birthday party. Then, whether it is a good news or not infotainment surely raise their popularity. The relationship between media and celebrities are beneficial, it means both of them get profit. Media earn money from celebrities life and celebrities earn popularity from media. Even, there are some celebrities who make sensations in order to raising their popularity. For some celebrities, gossip is not bad news because it raises their popularity. Celebrities privates life is not their own. Their life is public consumption and for exchange they have popularity, wealthy and influence. Every celebrity has to ready lose their privacy in order to gain reputation. They have to know that media is not their enemy but their friend. Without media, celebrity is nothing. Same with media, without celebrity, media is nothing. Both of them have to working together to minimize conflict between them. Private life for celebrity is a thing that must be sacrificed because their daily life can balance the news, give media worker jobs, and also raise their popularity.

References: Harianto Y. 2009, infotainment journalist, Infotainment: Pekerja, Jurnalis, atau Wartawan, http://sosbud.kompasiana.com/2009/12/19/infotainment-pekerja-jurnalis-atauwartawan/, (accesed 8 June 2012) romeltea. 2010, infotainment is journalistic, Infotainment itu karya jurnalistik juga, http://romeltea.com/infotainment-itu-karya-jurnalistik-juga/, (accesed 8 June 2012)
Westhaver D. Donovan. 2011, infotainment media, http://dondwest.hubpages.com/hub/InfotainmentMedia, (accesed 15 June 2012)

Lane L. 2007, what is news?, New Media: The 24/7 Age of Infotainment and the Compromise of the News Media, http://voices.yahoo.com/new-media-24-7-age-infotainment-compromise651451.html, (accesed 17 June 2012)