A frustrating week for journalists up and down the country as sleazy story after story gets slapped with a super injunction.
We took to the streets of Manchester to find out what Mancunians think, and ask them:
Is the use of a super-injunction to protect a celebrity’s private life acceptable?
|
Options |
Results |
| Yes | 27% |
| No | 32% |
| Maybe / Depends |
41% |
Dean Higham, 31, Ardwick, Unemployed
“Yes, I would say so. I know they’re put in the public eye, and people think they make money from it, but they deserve some privacy.”
Mrs Parkinson, 67, Nelson, Semi-Retired
“Private life is personal but if they’re a celebrity then they’re in the public eye. If they’re doing something, they’d expect it to be in the public eye. But there are some areas that shouldn’t be exposed.”
David Ikin, 52, Altringham, Civil Servant
“It depends on the circumstances. It’s a rich man’s law, only the wealthy can make use of it-it’s against free speech. But if it’s purely personal and not against the law then I don’t see whose business it is.”
Kelsey Vickers, 18, Moston, Apprentice
“No, I want them to write about it so I can read all the magazines.”
Michael Simlas, 29, Ancoats, Unemployed
“In certain circumstances, i.e. if they’re doing harm to someone or something illegal, otherwise, it’s all about saving you own face.
“As a common man I can’t take out an injunction so why should the super-rich be allowed to keep their privacy, surely they’d sacrificed all that? Celebrities have signed away their privacy.”
Sarah McBrian, 27, Cheshire, P.A.
“No. They have to accept that they’re in the public eye and the public has a right to know.”
Alex Owen, 18, Salford, Marketing Sales Assistant
“Yes. If their personal lives are affected by what’s in the press, it can affect their performance.”
Zeeshan Syed, 28, Rochdale, Machine Operator
“Yes. They are also human beings.”
Monir Khoudi, 37, Failsworth, Interpreter
“No. What about the freedom of the press? If you have money then you can have your privacy, but if you don’t have money then you cannot take an injunction. I was reading in the news about Andrew Marr, about him having an affair and taking out a super-injuction but he was always tried finding out about politicians and their private lives.
“If I have money, and I have an affair, I cannot afford an injuction and I cannot stop you from publishing it.”
Andrew Garnett, 23, Halifax, Customer Service
“No. Why should they be allowed, when others can’t afford it? They’re chosen to be celebrities. It’s censorship; we’ll be like China soon.”
Got your own thoughts on super injunctions? Leave them in the comments box below.