Definition of "public eye"

The chief function of an English journal is that of all other journals the world over: it must keep the public eye fixed admiringly upon certain things, and keep it diligently diverted from certain others.

1892, Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], chapter X, in The American Claimant, New York, N.Y.: Charles L[uther] Webster & Co., page 97

[T]here had been the heavy work of seeing the interviewers, signing autograph-books, sitting to photographers, writing testimonials for patent medicines, and the thousand and one other tasks, burdensome but unavoidable, of the man who is in the public eye.

1909, P. G. Wodehouse, chapter 10, in The Swoop! or How Clarence Saved England

It would be too much to imagine that improving stations will alone create a much needed new image in the public eye; a smartly turned out station staff is a very necessary complement to a smart station.

1962 October, Brian Haresnape, “Focus on B.R. passenger stations”, in Modern Railways, page 255

The president and her advisers seem convinced that by keeping the issue of the Falklands in the public eye she can embarrass London into eventual negotiations.

2013 January 3, Luke Harding, Uki Goni, “Argentina urges UK to hand back Falklands and 'end colonialism'”, in The Guardian, UK

“As any author who is moderately in the public eye, you do always worry that if you get into a fight with someone on Twitter about politics or sports or even a Marvel movie, some angry fans might go leave one-star reviews in retaliation,” he said.

2023 June 26, Alexandra Alter, Elizabeth A. Harris, quoting Lincoln Michel, “How Review-Bombing Can Tank a Book Before It’s Published”, in The New York Times‎