“Do you think the press sensationalizes celebrity court cases in order to sell ads?”
I frequently get asked this question by friends who want to get my take on the latest perceived celebrity indiscretion that has made it into our court system. Of course the answer is, “absolutely.” That’s just the economic reality of the media business—too much media, too little news.
But if we take a closer look, we realize that the press is actually playing a far more important role than this accurate, albeit cynical, response to the question would have us assume. Were it not for the close media attention these cases receive, most celebrities would likely escape their day of judgment entirely. Of course, not all of them are guilty, but virtually none of them would be found guilty were it not for the American press. That is because men and women of wealth and influence are often capable of buying their freedom if no one is watching the process. Consider the justice system in virtually every country where the media are excluded from the courtroom. Without a doubt, corruption trumps justice, and corruption breeds more corruption. The very same thing would happen in the United States if not for the freedom of the press to tell the world what is going on in these cases, moment by nausea-inducing moment.
We all tend to view the court system through a wide-angle lens, but if we examine it under the microscope, we see things from a rather different perspective.
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