The media has been blamed for the apparent spate of suicides in South Wales. The more subtle versions of this accusation say that the simple fact of headlining these deaths makes vulnerable young people seek fame through self-destruction.
There may be some truth in this, but banning media coverage isn’t the solution to the underlying problem. Shooting the messenger, be it the tabloids or the Internet, won’t explain why those children were so unhappy.
But it is clear that the idea of celebrity is permeating our culture. From Kylie to the McCanns, people’s private lives are exposed to public scrutiny as entertainment in a way that is so much more intensive and all-pervading than before. Often that exposure is sought voluntarily so there is no point saying that the media is wholly ‘culpable’.
Next Monday night Polis has a debate about how celebrity has impinged upon politics. One of the most interesting speakers is Derek Draper. This is the former New Labour apparatchik turned lobbyist turned psychotherapist who has married GMTV presenter Kate Garroway. (A terrific journalist who I was lucky enough to work with at BBC News 24). Derek has never been far from controversy and he continues to rattle cages. Derek urges politicians and journalists to be more emotionally aware, so he was delighted when the Prime Minister revealed his affection for the exhibitionist game show “X Factor”. This has upset some commentators who feel that any attempt to ‘humanise’ politics will only detract from a proper consideration of policies.
As a journalist I believe that human interest should not be a term of abuse. Finding a way to connect with people on an emotional level can be a way of building empathy as well as manufacturing soft soap. LSE Professor Richard Layard has made a convincing case that human happiness rather than material advances should be the object of public policy. So why not inject the emotion in to the policy makers and our coverage of it as well?
Join the debate on Monday at 6.30pm in tower one at the LSE. No tickets required – details here
