I have terrible news.
Manti Te’o’s girlfriend isn’t real.
Oh, and Beyonce´ lip synced at the presidential inauguration.
And have you heard that Lance Armstrong really was doping?
This is the worst one… wait for it… I overheard a conversation the other day about how House Hunters is all set up in advance. That’s right. Reality television isn’t real either.
It’s seems the media are packed with examples of things we think are real that aren’t and stories about people who’ve been lying to us.
The issue—explored by USA Today in the column Celeb liars, fakers: Does it matter if it’s real or not—is the basis for this week’s ethics discussion in my media law and ethics class.
I asked students to take a stance on the question:
Should the public expect truth from celebrities?
If the answer is no, it seems that celebrity lies and fakes are the norm and, therefore, no longer newsworthy. This could allow us (the media) to move on to cover perhaps more important issues.
The students were use to their knowledge of ethics to support their “yes” or “no” answer.
I’d love for you to weigh in on the issue.
Let’s Talk Nerdy!
Should the public expect truth from celebrities or should we assume that they make decisions based on whatever gets them the most attention and profit?
I believe in truth, so well done for bringing this to light.
However, I don’t agree with your comment about celebrities faking and lying, not being news worthy.
Newsworthy, doesn’t mean the truth, it only means what sells.
That’s the biggest problem with the media.
Is media a good thing for our society: in my opinion, no!
danielalex_book It’s not new is it’s the norm. News on its face is something new or noteworthy. If it happens constantly and is expected, it’s not news.
Of course, there’s an important distinction between media and news/journalism. You can read my views (oh, and @BruceSallan wrote something too) here: http://www.brucesallan.com/2012/11/20/freedom-thought-debate-journalism/.
Kenna
Simple answer is NO, we shouldn’t expect “Truth” from celebrities…personally, I just wish they’d shut up on anything outside their purview!
BruceSallan I agree, Daddy’O. Why on earth do we care what celebrities think about things that have nothing to do with their area of knowledge?
We shouldn’t expect any more truth from celebrities than we do from any other members of society. Unfortunately, the truth threshold in the modern age is very, very low.
SiaKnight That is really unfortunate. Sadly, I agree.