From the Royal Family to Politicians… How much should we know about public figures?

When understanding the UK as a country, our public figures are vital. Our government and our Monarchy are important as institutions. They are the foundations of this country’s image. What we must consider, however, is the personal connections between the public and the people in these institutions. Politicians, members of the royal family, not only do they make decisions on our behalf, but they also represent us as a nation. If public figures are to serve us effectively, a certain level of transparency is expected. We feel entitled to know them, to understand them - but how much do we actually get to see, and how much does the public want to see… 

Traditionally, our access to public figures has been through neutral sources like the BBC. We are given unbiased access in order to sufficiently hold public figures like the royal family to account - especially as support for the Monarchy still remains relatively high. According to the Reuters Institute, 30% of adults access the news multiple times a day, with an extreme interest in current affairs. However, there is only a certain level of detail given to us by news outlets like the BBC, and, in an age of social media and its familiarity, the public wants to know more. With current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak boasting an incredible 3.2 million followers on Instagram, we see social media becoming increasingly politicized. Public figures are able to control their own narrative, engaging on a more personal level with huge audiences. 

We’ve seen some examples of public figures going one step further, with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex releasing ‘Harry and Meghan’ on Netflix, attracting the views of 28 million households. Other television programmes like ‘I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here’ have allowed politicians Matt Hancock and Nigel Farage to construct their personal image outside of politics, with the latter earning a whopping £1.5 million for doing so. Third year Newcastle student Katie believes that public figures shouldn’t profit off public insight in the way, ‘I don’t think there’s much need for them to be on things like I’m a Celebrity, I think it seriously damages the reputation of our country’. 

That being said, it is only natural for the public to have such curiosities, and it certainly remains heavily debated as to how much we should know about these public figures. Greater transparency may create better understanding and greater trust, it may even encourage modernization from more traditional institutions. The Prince and Princess of Wales, for example, often engage with younger audiences through their 15.1 million followers on Instagram. Nevertheless, it is essential that public figures use this familiarity to aid them in creating good, rather than coming at a cost to public service.