What is Gossip and Scandal?

Gossip is informal, private communication between an individual and a small selected audience concerning the conduct of absent persons or events. Scandals occur when gossip is elevated into the public arena (Klein 51).

Baruh (191) introduces us to the reason to why voyeuristic gossip has become a defining characteristic of contemporary society. Contemporary culture conceptualises voyeurism as a common and not solely sexual pleasure derived from access to private details, and the media has growingly made that information accessible by curiously peeking into the lives of others especially ones known to the public such as celebrities and political figures. The appeal of voyeurism is the pleasure derived from learning what is typically forbidden or private. This can be linked to Katz, Blumer & Gurevitch concept of uses and gratification in which audience engage in content selection to fulfil certain needs through the media.

Klein (47) gives reason for the role of gossip and scandal in media and society in general. Gossip and scandal are seen to have the power to informally control behaviour within a society. They are seen to be part of larger social processes that lead to implementation of powerful social, economic and political sanctions. It controls behaviour when the people who gossip exercise other forms of social control over its victims. It maintains the morals, values and unity of social groups. Gossip is also a form of communication and information management, a device individuals use to put forward and protect their own interests and to attack their opponents in situations where open confrontation is too risky.

This blog will show how different media carried out the news content of a news segment on former Roads and Transport Minister of New South Wales, David Campbell, exposing it as a scandal in relation to their structure and practices.