Issue185 同主题 拍

violayuanUID：2125310

TOPIC：ISSUE 185 - "Scandals-whether in politics, academia, or other areas-can be useful. They focus our attention on problems in ways that no speaker or reformer ever could."
WORDS：533       TIME：0:65:00          DATE：2005-9-10

Scandals are the most effective way to attract the mass' attention quicker than a wink of the eye rather than formal claims made by speaker or reformer ever could. It seems to be true, but can scandals act more effectively in solving the problems behind the facts must be taken into concerns.

To begin with, the definition of "scandal" comes up with maily two parts: the fact ( usually negative) and some melicious critics or even fabricated gossips.
As far as I am concerned, it is the striking fact that help reveal the negative side of a society while enormous attention are attracted by the melicious critics. This is how scandals played its overwhelming role in compementary to speakers and reformers. Nevertheless, over-fabricated scandals will cause panic and depression and therefore do harm to the society.

Grantedly, there is an element of truth in scandal. Facts that have been carefully sealed from the sight of public are revealed by means of scandal ;as a result, social problems (including politics, academia, economy, sports and so forth) behind these negative facts calls for attention and solution. Economists and experts in bank system have only claimed what to do is right. For a long period of time, they failed to notice some potential danger within the banking system itself. Only after the bankruptcy of Baring Bank, which blowed a big wave in the realm of finace, did they realize the potential problem within bank system, for example. Thus scandals are more effective in attracting public attention to solve problems behind the facts.

However, scandals only reveals a corner of the iceburg ; thus the assistance of scandal in solving social problems are indeed limited. And more often than not, as the by-product of scandals, melicious critics and gossips might give rise to panic , depression or discredibility among the public. For instance, the uncontrollable spread of SARS caused great panic and discredibility in Bejing and the citizens felt they live in danger and unrestness during the horrified time. Moreover, reputations get ruined along with scandal yet reputation is easy to ruin than to retain. One of the most prestigious cyclists, Marco Pantani became the first cyclistst since 1965 to capture the Tour de France road race in Paris. But his triumph was over shadowed by a drug scandal that cast a dark cloud over the world’s most cycling competition. Consequently, the cycling fans’ belief and interest are greatly harmed.

Moreover, there exist a numerous purely fabricated scandals in mass media only to deceive the public attention in order to make money. Entertainment journalists are zealots of scandals among all kinds of stars. And their work, publications, such as the Sun Newpaper in Braitain is nothing more than stuff during housewives’ tea time, let alone solving problems.

As far as I am concerned, scandals are effective in attracting public attention and therefore can assist solving social problems by revealing negetive facts concealed by reformers and speakers. Nevertheless, to eradicate these problems calls for more intensive probing. In addition, scandals may also cause panic and discredibility, which gives depression to society. Finally, purely fabricated scandals are only a waste of time to deceive the emotion of the public.