Celebrities, Media, The Public Make Up A Self-Feeding Beast

Sun., Sept. 7, 1997

Doug Floyd Interactive Editor

The “mainstream” media and Princess Diana’s admirers have strained this week to differentiate themselves from paparazzi, tabloids and the voyeurs who view the world from the supermarket checkout counter. As though one form of celebrity obsession contributed to the princess’s death but not another.

In truth, the divide between good guys and bad guys is not sharp, and fame is a partnership involving the celebrity, the media and the public.

Diana Spencer could neither have inspired the fox-hunt chase that ended in her death nor rallied public awareness about land mines. But Princess Diana could and did.

Celebrity, something that can’t be turned on and off like a lamp, made Princess Diana both influential and vulnerable.

Her own charm, grace and personality set her apart from run-of-the-mill notables. She used it to suit her purposes.

The media, starting with the so-called “serious” media, gave her the exposure that activated worldwide fascination and her tabloid value.

And the public feasted on her - both those who gobble up the paparazzi’s work and, yes, those who were glued to the TV set for yesterday’s funeral services.

, DataTimes MEMO: In death as in life, Princess Diana was never far removed from the press. The Spokesman-Review’s photo editor, John Sale, and five Opinion Page writers (Rebecca Nappi, John Webster, Jamie Tobias Neely, Doug Floyd and D.F. Oliveria) offer brief observations about that relationship and about Diana as a public figure.

In death as in life, Princess Diana was never far removed from the press. The Spokesman-Review’s photo editor, John Sale, and five Opinion Page writers (Rebecca Nappi, John Webster, Jamie Tobias Neely, Doug Floyd and D.F. Oliveria) offer brief observations about that relationship and about Diana as a public figure.

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