Press scandal and the Streisand effect

The Streisand effect: when the efforts of the rich and famous to keep their shenanigans out of the public gaze backfire.

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Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson: celebrity scandal is nothing new

Thanks to the efforts of Lord Leveson and the rise of the "super-injunction", it's never been easier for the rich and famous to keep their shenanigans out of the public gaze. Such heavy-handed legal action has a habit of backfiring, however, by drawing attention to something that would in the course of things be forgotten within a few days. It is known as the "Streisand effect" after singer Barbra Streisand. In 2013, she attempted to ban the media from reproducing little-viewed photos of her house. The result was that they became front-page news around the world.

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