Hoping For a Career in the Media
It’s not news that I’m hoping to follow a career in the media. Although I currently work for Cardiff University’s newspaper, Gair Rhydd, I don’t think I will pursue a career in newspapers.
But despite my aspirations to become a journalist, it doesn’t mean I can’t hold the media accountable. Recently, more so than ever, I’ve been more aware of the media’s perception of certain celebrities. The way some are attacked and vilified. How some media outlets will do everything in their power to gain a story.
With Taylor Swift’s tell-all documentary hitting Netflix at the end of January and with the recent and sudden death of television presenter Caroline Flack, it’s time we realise that targeting certain celebrities creates a mob mentality – and can often cause serious harm.
Most people by now will likely know I’m a big fan of Taylor Swift. Since her Fearless album, I’ve followed her career and enjoyed her music. I feel I’ve grown up with her and her music and getting more of an inside look into her private life in her documentary has been fascinating. I feel I relate inherently with the way she reacts to how others perceive her. She mentioned how she’d built her entire belief system on being liked. But when the world turned against her, she had to rebuild.
Taylor Swift has been criticised her entire career. Either because of who she’s dating or how she reacts to situations. She’s been scrutinised and clearly it meant she had to think about everything she did in her life. Which seems normal – to a point. It seems she put so much pressure on herself to be ‘perfect’ that she even considers her album Reputation a failure because of its lack of Grammy nominations – despite many, myself included, counting the album as one of her best.
The media has spent many of Swift’s years creating her as a ‘love to hate’ personality. During 2016, following Kanye West’s Famous song debacle, and Kim Kardashian West’s recording, the world quite literally turned on Swift. The media seemed to join in on this mass hatred of Swift, to a point where, when she was dealing with a sexual assault case, numerous media outlets were continuing to criticise her. Even as Taylor Swift was going through one of the hardest things anyone might have to go through, many media outlets were capitalising on her hardship.
I understand that the world has an obsession with celebrity culture, and that celebrities are seen as the ‘elite’. However, to an extent, the media can be perceived to be out for blood. I recently saw a viral video of Selena Gomez leaving a restaurant where she said, ever so timidly, ‘do you mind leaving me alone, please?’ to paparazzi. Their response was simply ‘we got here first, there’ll be more in a second’, but Gomez even mentioned how they were scaring her.
Of course, celebrities put themselves in a position where the world scrutinises them. It’s, unfortunately, part of the deal. However, there is certainly a point where things can go too far. And it often does.
Caroline Flack was charged last December with assaulting her boyfriend. Overnight, her life was upended. I sincerely believe that an abuser should be punished for their actions. However, the vindication Flack received during her assault trial was not the first time Flack was targeted by some media outlets.
As with many female celebrities, everything Caroline Flack did was scrutinised. It feels as though the media were thrilled when her assault charges hit the headlines in December.
Flack’s boyfriend dropped the charges against her, and yet the trial continued on (Flack was meant to stand trial next month). Although I believe assault trials should be carried through even despite charges being dropped – it’s notable that Flack’s trial was not dropped, when sadly, in most cases, the charges being dropped would mean the trial would be over. It seems like Flack’s trial not being dropped is in part due to the fact she was famous.
It seemed unlikely, due to her persona on ITV’s Love Island and BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, that she could be an abuser. And in part, I think the media loved that. It was a story which seemed so unlikely – which meant it would sell.
Again, I’m not saying Caroline Flack’s abuse of her boyfriend ought to be excused. I am however saying that the way her trial and the allegations were handled seemed targeted in a way which was different from how abusers are often perceived by the media.
Of course, it is not entirely the media’s fault. In order to sell papers and gain more clicks to websites, you must make sure your content is what the public will want. If the world is hating a certain celebrity, the media will capitalise on this. It is both the media buying into this mob mentality which is harmful, but also the public’s creation of the mob mentality which can cause severe damage.
Everyone should be accountable for their actions. However, if these celebrities are being held accountable, then so should everyone else, and that includes the media, too.
No one else should feel like ending their life is the only way out of the hounding from social media trolls and the media.
By Tirion Davies