Scott Peterson, Kobe Bryant, Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Michael Jackson

Scott Peterson, Kobe Bryant, Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Michael Jackson
By C. Paul Luongo

Now, do I have your attention? What do these five have in common?

They keep popping up in the news daily and have for some time.

Why should we care about Scott Peterson? Every day deranged citizens mame, kill, and murder for no reason, or reasons that don’t validate the crime.

So why is the media obsessed with Scott Peterson? Do Americans really care or is it the fault of the media looking to fill newspapers, magazines and television shows with titillating subjects that will amuse and entertain their audience while positive news begs for an audience? Why is he singled out? Does he have a PR agent flogging his crime? If so, what does he have to gain? After all, in most cases, monies derived from criminal acts are forfeited legally to the government.

Recently a Catholic priest stated that the media is quick to print bad news about the church but the good work they do often goes unreported. Once again, bad news sells, good news goes unnoticed. I repeat. Good news doesn’t sell as well as bad!

Did the world know Kobe Bryant before his alleged sexual encounter with a hotel concierge? Perhaps the sports journalists and special sports audiences knew, but not the general public. His new found fame, ironically, is now responsible for multi-million dollar endorsement contract cancellations. Not nice, but the media frenzy continues.

And Britney Spears’ “wedding”? Is she not a smart cookie to think of some outrageous plot to help sell her next album due out soon? Is she taking lessons from Madonna, her new found “padrone”? It’s well worth the $560,000 she gave her paramour to dissolve the marriage with multi-million dollar worldwide publicity and coverage in major pop magazines.

Unlike Britney, Paris Hilton is a totally unattractive, untalented bimbo who became an icon only because of her genes and esteemed hotel name. Why she needs to have the world view her having sex with two or three males other than for prurient reasons is astounding. And despite these ignoble acts, she has been offered $3 Million and a contract at Fox-TV. Sex sells!

Lastly, Michael Jackson. Sigh. The fact that he is gay (which according to his mother is against his religion) is not news. That he is a pedophile is. Before the revelation of sexual encounters with adolescents did we hear of Michael Jackson’s life in Neverland? Not unless he was entertaining Elizabeth Taylor, whom he is desperately trying to resemble, or filming Neverland for huge sums of money for the TV networks.

Recently I announced the 40th anniversary of our Public Relations Agency, but because the media looks for more than plain vanilla items, I have to add more facts than just the anniversary itself. I need a “hook,” so to speak. Perhaps a Paris Hilton escapade?

Therefore, dear readers, be sure that the next time you contact the media you bring lots of titillating news to move the press enough to print or broadcast the subject. Your chances will be better than submitting a pleasant news story about the plight of those living in rural America.