[user104658]

It depends on the context. When it's been as the result of a crime, or in war, or as the result of something preventable then I'd say it's in the public interest to know about it. For example, it's horrible to read about children killed in car accidents, but if part of the story is that they weren't strapped in properly or weren't in a proper car seat - and reading about the death prompts even just ONE parent to be more safe - then that's worth it.

But I do agree that all too often you open a tabloid and the first headline that hits you is about some poor child that has died in a completely random accident, where absolutely nothing could have been done about it... and I can't help but think, what good does it do anyone?