Unit 45 Restatement of the Power of Press

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In democratic countries, any efforts to restrict the freedom of the press are rightly condemned. However, this freedom can easily be abused. Stories about people often attract far more public attention thatn political events. Acting on the contention that facts are sacred, reporters can cause untold suffering to individuals by publishing details about their private lives. Newspapers exert such tremendous influnece that they can not only bring about major changes to the lives of ordinary people but can even overthrow a government. The story of a poor family in Aberdeen that acquired fame and fortune overnight, dramatically illustrate the power of the press. The family with five children remained poor and obscure until they suddenly became the parents of quintuplets, four girls and a boy, an event which radically changed their lives. This received a great deal attention in the press and in the public. As a result, the parenets was paid huge sums for the the exclusive right to publish stories and photographs, together with a great many gifts offered by unknown people and manufactures of baby products. Meanwhile, the family moved to a new $500,000 home and employed lawyers to act as their spokesmen at press conferences because their five children had immediately beome a commodity.

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