It was August 31st in the year 1997 that Princess Diana of Wales lost her life in a tragic car accident. Millions of people mourned her loss, over a billion people watched her funeral, and of those, many blamed the paparazzi for it all.
The paparazzi and other celebrity journalists have a rough reputation. They are accused of exploiting the celebrities they pursue, of invading privacy and of even ruining whole families. Many a celebrity has gotten physical with an offending member of the celebrity press. Perhaps the most enduring image of a paparazzi reporter is not of a face, but of a face obscured by a camera.
On the other end of the spectrum, we may witness the Arts and Entertainment beat reporter. They inspect with a scalpel, possessed of an inside knowledge of their expertise; books, movies, television, and what-have-you. When they are assigned to cover a concert, they must attend whether they want to or not and they must write critically of the events.
What separates the two kinds of reporters? Ultimately, it comes down to a question of content. Paparazzi may cover the ins and outs of somebody’s sex life, but the Arts and Entertainment reporter will cover the book or movie that the person in question is releasing. As vapid as some paparazzi reporting can be, that does not mean that it can be discarded.
When the A&E reporter goes to a concert where the front-man (or woman) seems to be off their game, the paparazzi reporter can help us fill in the details that make the celebrity human. As a society, we expect much from our performers. We expect a masterpiece each and every time we shell out to see the latest movie. Through a recognition of tough times in an individuals life, we may learn to forgive – but not necessarily forget – their momentary humanity.
These people are not Gods; as much as we may need them to be.
