Democratic Countries
1 In democratic countries any efforts to restrict the freedom of the Press are rightly condemned, However, this freedom can be easily abused. Stories about people often attract far more public attention than political events. Though we may enjoy reading about the lives of others, it is extremely doubtful whether we would equally enjoy reading about ourselves. Acting on the contention that facts are sacred, reporters can cause untold sufferings to individuals by publishing details about their private lives. Newspapers exert such tremendous influence that they can not only bring about major changes to the lives of ordinary people but can even overthrow a government.
2 The story of a poor family that acquired fame and fortune overnight dramatically illustrates the power of the press. The family lived in Aberdeen, a small town of 25,000 inhabitants in South Dakota. As the parents had five children, life was a perpetual struggle against poverty. They were expecting their sixth child and were faced with even more pressing economic problems. If they had only one more child the fact would have passed unnoticed. They would have continued to struggle against economic odds and would have lived in obscurity. But they suddenly became the parents of quintuplets, four girls and a boy, an event which radically changed their lives. The day after the birth of the five children, an aeroplane arrived in Aberdeen bringing sixty reporters and photographers. The news was of national importance, for the couple had become the parents of the only quintuplets in America.
3 Their rise to fame was swift. Television cameras and newspapers carried the news to everyone in the country. Newspapers and magazines offered the family huge sums for the exclusive rights to publish photographs. Gifts poured in not only from unknown people but from baby food and soap manufacturers who wished to advertise their products. The old farmhouse the family lived in was to be replaced by a new $ 100,000 home. Reporters kept pressing for interviews so lawyers had to be employed to act as the spokesmen of the family at press conferences. The event brought serious changes to the town itself. Plans were announced to build a huge new highway, as Aberdeen was now likely to attract thousands of tourists. Signposts erected on the outskirts of the town directed tourists not to Aberdeen, but to ‘Quint-City U.S.A.’ The local authorities discussed the possibility of erecting a ‘quint museum’ to satisfy the curiosity of the public and to protect the family from inquisitive tourists. While the five babies were still quietly sleeping in oxygen tents in a hospital nursery, their parents were paying the price for fame. It would never again be possible for them to lead normal lives. They had become victims of commercialization for their names had acquired a market value. The town itself received so much attention that almost every one of the inhabitants was affected to a greater or less degree.
Word-Meaning
Contention—assertion 2. Sacred—something that should not be criticized. 3. Perpetual—permanent. 4. obscurity—being not well-known 5. quintuplets—five children born to a mother at the same time. 6. outskirts—outer areas. 7. Quint—short form of quintuplet 5. Inquisitive—fond of inquiring into other people’s affairs. 9. commercialization-making money out of something
Questions
(a) On the basis of your reading of the above passage make notes on it, using recognizable abbreviations wherever necessary. Use a format you consider suitable. Supply a suitable title.
(b) Write a summary of the passage in about 80 words.
Answers
Notes on the contents of the Passage:
A.Freedom of the Press:
(i) vital but can be abused
(ii) infiltration into „the personal life of individuals undesirable.
(iii) can cause serious damage not only to individuals but also to govts.
B. The story of a poor couple who had quintuplets :
(i) lived in obscurity before they had the quints.
(ii) shot into fame after the birth of quints.
(iii) their personal life commercialised.
(iv) knew no peace or rest now.
Heading: Freedom of the Press v/s Private Life
(b) Summary of the Passage :
Freedom of the Press is, no doubt, very vital and any attempt to restrict it is condemned in a democratic country. But this freedom can be misused also. It can cause great damage and bring untold suffering to an individual when it infiltrates into his or her private chambers. The story of a poor Aberdeenian couple who had quintuplets shows how the Press can destroy the peace of an individual’s private life by commercialising it and thus exposing it to the embarrassment of public glare.
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