A lot of public figures have died recently.From Michael Jackson’s death, which paralyzed the media (and, astonishingly, almost paralyzed the Internet) to Billy Mays, whose death shattered both the world of advertising and the world of yelling, the icy scythe of Death seems to have favored the famous as of late.Recently, that list expanded to include longtime Sen. Ted Kennedy, whose long and storied career earned him the nickname “The Lion of the Senate.” He was a passionate reformer, a powerful orator and a legendary legislator.From the news coverage immediately in the wake of his death, this is all anyone would know of him.What some media – especially TV and the Internet – leave out is at Kennedy’s lowest point, he was perceived as “a Palm Beach boozer, lout and tabloid grotesque,” according to Time magazine, and was called “the living symbol of family flaws” by no less than Newsweek magazine.The coverage of Jackson’s death – which, again, almost brought the entire world to a screeching halt – portrayed him as “the King of Pop,” a transcendent performer who thrilled the entire world with his music and moves.He was also, especially in his later years, an unparalleled eccentric and a living punchline — a fact anyone reading this article probably knows.My point here isn’t simply to speak ill of the dead. Ted Kennedy was, whatever your political views, at least a master politician and a powerful orator — nobody makes it that long or that far in the Senate without some serious skills. And Michael Jackson was a great singer and an even better dancer.And while I don’t want white-washed portrayals of our public figures, I certainly believe they should be afforded respect. When media personalities trumpet and gloat about the death of figures they disagree with – as Rush Limbaugh and his imitators have with Kennedy – they have crossed the line from honesty into blatant disrespect.But for all their talents, skills, and contributions to society, these were also deeply flawed people. There is no avoiding the fact Kennedy, among other things, left a campaign aide to drown underwater in a car he was driving, and Jackson — well, there’s hardly one trait or occurrence that can define his level of weird.When the media covers the death of a highly public figure, the coverage tends to end up more as an extended eulogy than a true retrospective. The deceased person’s flaws and controversies may make a minor subhead or garner space on a lesser page, but these reminders are largely placed far behind long lists of accolades.There are several probable causes for this phenomenon. First, especially in the case of performers such as Jackson, media practitioners are afraid to upset colossal fanbases. If a news network had chosen to attach much prominence to either figure’s shortcomings, it would have attracted monumentally bad press and would have alienated huge chunks of idolizing viewers.Second, and perhaps more idealistically, America has a need for heroes. Pretty much everybody wants to believe there are people of spotless moral character and driving vision who inspire us all to be better people.Unfortunately, there are few – if any – humans who are actually that good — not even Billy Mays.Do we really need to have people who don’t screw up to be inspired? If someone who achieves great things in this country also makes some terrible decisions, do we really need to shy away from remembering those decisions so we can sleep better at night?We don’t.America should be honest with itself. Isn’t it just as inspiring to believe that even people that make colossal mistakes can still achieve great things in the world?  And if it isn’t, shouldn’t we be able to take some warning or caution away from the sometimes tragic stories of our public idols?If the answer to these questions is honestly no, then the media is doing a fine job.But if the media is simply avoiding the difficult topics because it is too difficult or too dangerous to do so, then shame on them.Matthew Albright is a 20-year-old mass communication junior from Baton Rouge. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_malbright.—-Contact Matthew Albright at [email protected]