As a retired journalist who has worked across the world for over 40 years, I have always struggled with the grey area in the profession over newsworthiness.
My main gripe is the choice of many to act as vultures, preying on the private suffering of others – particularly high profile identities.
We used to label these journos as ‘ambulance chasers’.
Sadly, Australia’s obsession with sport has led to our press epitomising this gutter-raking mentality.
We live through and glorify stars as if they are on a higher plain when they are winning, but we will equally drool over reporting their fall from graces, with scant regard for their right to privacy or respecting the damage it might do to them.
The first and only thought is to air their dirty washing, even if it means rubbing salt into their open wounds.
Ian Thorpe’s current plight is testimony to this, and frankly the way the press have handled it is a disgrace of the highest magnitude
Arguably Australia’s greatest Olympian, with a swag of medals and world records, Thorpe is an athlete who captivated the Aussie public with not only his exceptional feats in the pool but his natural good graces, charm and the sincerity that has always exuded from him.
Heartbreakingly, after a failing to make a comeback in the 2012 Olympics, he has fallen on hard times.
The days after have seen him appearing in the papers for his alcoholism, sexual orientation and depression, culminating in the recent report of police picking him in a dazed and confused state after he tried to break into a van.
Honestly, do we need to have this reported to us? It highlights how much joy we take in bringing down a legend.
Why not respect everything this great man has given to the nation and us as its citizens by deciding to turn a blind eye to this under the auspices of one’s right to privacy!
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