It is argued that personal life of those who are involved in politics should not be covered by media.
This essay disagrees with this statement as such restrictions violate freedom of the press as well as
civil rights and create favourable conditions for corruption in the society.
Nobody would dispute the fact that freedom of the mass media is one of the cornerstones of the
modern democratic society. This is because the press functions as a vehicle for citizens to express
themselves and gain exposure to a wide range of information and opinions. Furthermore,
independent journalists fight for human rights and hold those in power, including politicians,
accountable for their deeds. That is why any restrictions in this sphere adversely affect the society. For
example, according to the Press Freedom Index, countries where independent press is in difficult
conditions are those nations where human rights are systematically abused.
Another issue to take into consideration is that concealing information about politicians raises
corruption risks in the society. The more difficult it is to access information about a certain person, the
higher chances are for illegal activities and the lower the level of trust is among ordinary people
towards this figure. Moreover, financial information such as legal records about property deals must
be open as it will decrease the level of existing corruption and money laundering schemes. For
instance, it is customary for politicians in some EU countries to present a tax declaration at the end of
the year to their electorate.
However, there is an opinion that highlighting details of politicians’ lives in newspapers can be
regarded as invasion of privacy. Despite all the threats to physical and mental health such kind of
journalism might pose, I take the view that the public has the right to know how states people live in
order to understand whether the latter perform their duties appropriately and honestly.
In conclusion, I believe that the media has the right to discuss private lives of politicians as this
conforms to the standards of the developed society and prevents corruptions risks.