N.B. – While preparing for my trip to Jakarta, a student from De La Salle University emailed three questions about entertainment journalism. Allow me to share with you my short answers.
What do you think about celebrity journalism nowadays (both local and in Hollywood)?
If by “celebrity journalism” you refer to the aspect of entertainment journalism that covers “showbusiness,” then it generally cannot be called journalism if we were to adhere to its highest professional and ethical standards. For the most part, so-called entertainment news is characterized by gossip and trivia and does not help in providing relevant information to the people. Instead of properly shaping public opinion, such news ends up “dumbing down” audiences. To be fair, however, there are initiatives from responsible journalists to come up with intelligent and objective reviews of films and other shows on radio and television. There are also shows that engage in political satire, entertaining and enlightening audiences at the same time.
Do the tabloids / paparazzi still adhere to the ethics of good journalism?
They don’t adhere to journalism ethics for the simple reason that what they do cannot be called journalism in the strictest sense of the word. There are those who argue that they are just mainly doing a public a favor by fulfilling the latter’s right to know, but we should always go back to the duty of journalists to provide only the significant information that can help shape public opinion. What is the significance, for example, of stalking a celebrity and catching him or her in very embarassing situations?
What do you think are the effects of the endless rave over celebrities’ lives?
Media could end up “dumbing down” audiences by focusing on too much gossip and trivia. Celebrities may be public figures, but their personal lives can only become “fair game” to journalists if they have a significant impact on the work that celebrities do. While there are also media hounds among celebrities who would do anything and everything to be in the news, it is imperative for journalists not to fall for such attempts. They should always keep in mind how they can help shape public opinion with the kind of information that they provide to audiences.