Clickbait vs. Empathy: The Sensationalism of Rahma Riad Fainting
Rahma Riad, the Iraqi singer, suddenly lost consciousness on the red carpet of the Murex d’Or awards ceremony. To many’s disgust, the headlines that followed all sensationalized her situation. Tabloids provided videos with bold and capitalized clickbait. They paid no mind to what she, her husband, and her family endured and continue to feel.
Even on the red carpet as her husband rushed to help her, people and photographers crammed and circled around her. Not only did this break any sense of privacy, but also served as a testament to the media’s appalling predatory behavior.
Sources later stated that Riad was doing better after getting help from the Lebanese Red Cross. They added that she fainted due to extreme fatigue associated with lack of sleep, food, and constant traveling. With such a hectic lifestyle that relates to so many celebrities, people often forget that they’re human and deserve empathy.
The concern that night should have been on Riad’s well-being. Fixation on getting the best picture or angle of someone in a vulnerable situation is downright criminal. We wish Rahma Riad all the best in the world, and we hope that she makes a full mental and physical recovery, paying no mind to the intrusive actions of others.
