The Right to Die in Peace

I think it's safe to assume most people want to die in peace. Not only that, but they want their families to be able to grieve in peace. 

When my phone blew up with the latest breaking news, it made me wonder: wouldn't celebrities and their families appreciate the same courtesy? 

Celebrities receive less protection under privacy laws then citizens who do not chose to be in the public eye. So, journalists have the right (in some cases, an obligation) to be more critical of their actions and, in some ways, invade their privacy. But, is dying different? I mean, the guy died TODAY. The family is probably in shock. They’re dealing with the reality the their father, their husband, uncle, or cousin is not longer with them. Now, each time they log onto Facebook, Twitter, or any news site their pain is front-page.

I’m not suggesting for journalists to stop doing their job of reporting newsworthy events. However, as I analyze the coverage of the death of Dick Clark, it makes me think about the fact that somewhere, this man’s family is grieving the loss of their loved one. Perhaps we, as the media, should be a little more sensitive. This man was more than a hot news story. Maybe we should give it some time, give the family room to breathe.

This certainly isn’t the only celebrity death story that has been breaking news before the family had time to blink.

The list goes on. Yes, journalists have an obligation to publish relevant news stories. But journalists do not have the obligation to hype-up celebrity deaths in order to gain readers and viewers. My suggestion is that the media becomes a little more humane about the way we cover celebrity deaths.