Media - The Gutter Press

My favourite type of media is the Gutter Press, also known as the Yellow Press. I really like gossip magazines because they feature scandalous and sensationalistic stories about the personal lives of celebrities. Gossip magazines are popular because of their simplicity, their large amount of (quality) photos, and the fact that they show us that celebrities are people of flesh and blood, like you and I. Celebrities have to cope with tears and pain as well, with relation cracks, deaths, drug and alcohol problems etc… Their life is not always a bed of roses!

One of the greatest disadvantages of the gutter press is the fact that it might have a negative effect on some people's lives, and especially on teenagers’ lives. A lot of teenagers identify themselves with celebrities and want to look like them. The gutter press exerts a lot of pressure on celebrities and consequently they get to contend with al kinds of problems, especially drug and alcohol problems and anorexia.

I think the main question we should try to give an answer to, is: ‘Does the media put too much pressure on celebrities to be thin? Does the media expects too much from celebrities?’
For the gutter press, money makes the world go around. Earning as much money as possible. Even at the cost of celebrities and readers. A lot of readers want to look like celebrities dealing with an eating disorder. Their admiration for stars might even lead to death. I think we have to get rid of that negative standards of gossip magazines.

On top of that, gossip magazines are very untrustworthy. Often the magazines are inconsistent with each other. Readers often believe everything they read, though a lot of the articles and rumours are lain.

Why I do like the gutter press? Because it’s a great challenge for me to find out what’s true and what’s not true and to compare and explore the different types of magazines and media!

By Ruth Knaepkens