It’s been a favorite for the squeamish to say “no comment” whenever they’re faced with an uncomfortable question. Other top methods are dodging the question or not returning calls.
One thing that the players in the entertainment game should learn is that the media always gets their story. Technology has become too advanced for anyone to think that secrets are possible.
Everything celebrities do and say is always being watched and recorded. Britney Spears has learned this lesson many times over. When she shaved her head and got two new tattoos on Feb. 16 (2007), she probably thought she could do it without being noticed (at least not right away). Low and behold, a team of banded brothers with their trusted cameras were there to shoot the whole thing and get it out on the Internet at lightning speed.
Some celebrities may not want to hear this but they need to be an open book. They can no longer see themselves as people who can keep their personal lives just that. It’s still an ongoing debate, as seen by a USA Today article, on whether or not celebrities should adhere to this obligation.
Why you ask? It’s simple really. Celebrities hold a responsibility to their fans. The people who see their movies, read their Web sites and listen to their songs make their career. Celebrities need to be respectful of the effect they have on their fans.
To make it more easy to understand, think of it like a business. A business has many publics: customers, stockholders, the media, the community and so on. They have a responsibility (many times required by law) to be completely up front and honest with their publics. Why? Because these publics have some form of an investment in that business. If they find out that the business was being deceitful, the public will counteract.
How can a celebrity be upfront:
The media are now your friends. Yes, the paparazzi that stands outside your window and the ones that follow you down Wilshire Blvd. They are the first middleman between your fans and you.
Without them (cringing to admit this), your fans will know nothing about you. No updates, no album releases, no upcoming movies. How will a fan know that you’re working on a movie this summer based on their favorite book? How will they know that you’re going on concert and a tour stop will be in their city?
Journalists are the ones who get the word out. Yes, your agent or manager is the one who technically gets that information out, but what if the journalist that they call say “so what”?
It’s a love-hate relationship between the media and celebrities much like the ones that PR professionals share with the media as well.
Simon Hattenstone, a journalist, wrote an article proving my point but from the media’s perspective.
