The internet is a constant source of instant information. But some question how much is too much when it comes to the private lives of public figures.
In a world of instant access to and distribution of information some question how much is too much.
Earlier this week emails surfaced indicating a romantic link between SC Comptroller General Richard Eckstrom and Superintendent of Education hopeful Kelly Payne.
Payne is divorced and Eckstrom has been separated from his wife for nearly two years.
During a candidates forum in Myrtle Beach Thursday, Payne told a reporter from our sister station WPDE that she would not discuss her personal life. However, that hasn't stopped others in the political blogosphere from talking about it, feeding into the public's need for new information in a 24-hour news cycle.
Social networking sites and blogs have become destination spots for instant information. According to political analyst and dean of the USC School of Journalism Charles Bierbauer that doesn't necessarily mean what people are reading is always accurate.
"We get at least drawn to it the same way we sort of cast our eyes sideways at the checkout counter at the supermarket to see what's on those (tabloid) magazines," says Bierbauer.
Bierbauer says the line has blurred considerably between true and false, and situations like the one involving Payne and Eckstrom provide ample fodder for the next juicy story, regardless of whether a public figure's personal life is off-limits or not.
"Rumor is not news. Innuendo is not news," says Bierbauer. "The appearance of misbehavior in and of itself is not news until you've done the investigation to say is this in fact the case. But we have stretched the boundaries to at least include the appearance of misbehavior."
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