CELEBRITY & THE MEDIA

Celebrities ‘deserve privacy’

A survey on privacy and the media has revealed that most people think that there should be no or little
coverage of the private lives of celebrities. This contrasts strongly with the huge success of celebrity magazines,
which detail the lives of people in the public eye. The findings also revealed that people did not want
politicians to suffer from press intrusion. Certain tabloids were singled out as being particularly guilty of prying
into the lives of famous personalities.

in the public eye well known to many people

coverage the reporting of news in the media
intrusion (into sth) a thing that affects sb’s life in a negative way (intrude into sth v.)
pry into sth try to find info about people’s private lives

allegedly used when reporting something that people say is true, although it has not been proved:
‘Rocky allegedly back into rehab’
an exclusive story/interview/photo one that is published/reported only by one newspaper
‘Exclusive! Sandie gives birth to a girl’
get a scoop publish/broadcast an exciting story before anyone else does
Reporters like to get a scoop.

public disclosure of private facts

depiction in a false light
commercial exploitation of a person’s name/likeness
continuous surveillance
constant exposure
be subjected to the scrutiny of the public
an invasion of privacy
interfere in sb’s life
against sb’s will
be hounded (relentlessly) by the press
swarm around celebrities
harass celebrities
take/publish photographs without consent
unfavourable story
make sth public knowledge
obtain information (il)legally
keep within the boundaries of the law
a right to privacy/to be left alone

invite the media into their lives satisfy public curiosity

stay in the public eye an insatiable appetite for celebrity scandals
generate media attention legitimate newsgathering
at the expense of sb’s privacy freedom of speech/expression/the press
cherish one’s privacy be entitled to
be desperate for publicity inform the public about matters of public interest
bring sb fame (come) at a price
tip off the media as to one’s whereabouts come/go with the territory
the position celebrities occupy in society
maintain celebrity status
get more coverage
BBC under pressure to sack presenter

Politicians are putting pressure on the BBC to remove chat-show host Bob Alfred, after a story leaked out that
he uttered racist remarks following his Saturday show. The comments were made off the record, and
colleagues feel they have been blown out of proportion. However, Alfred is a household name, and any
comments that could stir up controversy and cast doubt on the integrity of the BBC would be very damaging.
Friends hope the incident will quickly blow over, but critics argue that the BBC has been left with no option.
‘This story won’t go away,’ said one MP. ‘The BBC must act now to stamp out any possible accusation of
racism, and the sooner the better.

leak out (of secret information) become known to the public

off the record not official or intended to be made public (opp.: on the record)
blow sth (up) out of (all) proportion make sth seem much worse that it really is
a household name a famous person
stir sth up try to cause arguments or problems
cast doubt(s) on sth make people feel less certain about sth
blow over If a difficult situation blows over, people stop talking about it and soon forget about it
go away disappear
stamp sth out get rid of sth dangerous

Opinions about the press

‘Newspapers print all sorts of allegations, many of them untrue, but mud sticks, and the unfortunate victims
bear the brunt of it.’
‘Some newspaper stories may not ring true, but generally journalists go to great lengths to check their facts
and ensure their stories are accurate.’
‘If it weren’t for the press, a lot of things would be swept under the carpet and might never come out into the
open’.
Newspapers sometimes overstep the mark, but they also speak out against social injustice, so I tend to have
mixed feelings about them’.

allegation a statement made without giving proof; accusation

mud sticks people remember the bad things they hear about someone, even if they are later shown to be
false
bear the brunt of sth suffer the worst part of sth unpleasant
go to great lengths (to do sth) try in a determined way to achieve sth
sweep sth under the carpet try to keep sth a secret, esp. sth you have done wrong
come out in/into the open = come to light
overstep the mark = go too far
overstep the boundaries/bounds of (good taste/acceptable behavior/…)
speak out (against sth) state your opinions in public, esp. in order to protest against sth
There’s no smoke without fire. If sth bad is said about sth/sb, it usually has some truth in it.

Adapted from ‘Oxford Word Skills’, The BBC, The Guardian

WARNING: Some of the above expressions are informal.