According to some people, newspapers should not write about the private lives of politicians. I truly agree with this statement, as privacy is a basic right that should be afforded to everyone despite their profession.
To start with, I would argue that everyone has a right of privacy. What I mean is that each person has the right to be free from unwarranted publicity, which has become rather difficult to achieve nowadays. In spite of the nature of politicians’ work, they deserve to have moments where they are free to act as they please, away from the public eye. While the press and the general population also have the right of free speech, to freely have a discourse and state their opinions for everyone to hear, there are also limits for it. For example, the journalists are free to record politicians and write about them when they deliberate over the government’s policies or after they make dubious decisions, but not during their off-hours.
Having said that, I understand that there are instances which call for investigations to be conducted. However, these investigations must be based on actionable information, and not on baseless accusations or unsubstantiated rumors. It has been proven time and time again that politicians tend to get involved in unlawful and unethical acts; corruption, collusion, and nepotism, to name a few. In situations where a certain politician is under suspicion, it is then required by law for the police to investigate them. In this case, the suspects’ privacy may be disregarded in favor of acquiring the truth and to dispense justice.
As far as I am concerned, politicians deserve to not have their private lives to be exposed. However, when they are breaking the law, they lose that right as justice must be prioritized.