Q. Many newspapers and magazines feature stories about the private lives of famous people. We also often see pictures of them in private situations. Is it appropriate for a magazine or newspaper to give this kind of private information about celebrities?
It has been controversial for decades that the mass media have a right to take photos and write articles about the private parts of celebrities or not. However, it is not appropriate that observing the private lives of famous people and reporting them as articles. Although the public interest matters, it can’t be superior to the invasion of privacy. Most of the magazines and newspapers deal with the most private part of the celebrities’ lives as gossip because it guarantees the increase of the subscribers. However, most articles are not permitted by the famous person who directly concerned in advance, and he/she even didn’t know about that before it is released. This is not right ethically, and sometimes it can be blamed by the public. The privacy should be kept in private no matter who it is. There another reason why it can not be justified in the name of the public interest, especially in the case of the personal pictures of celebrities. They originally violate one’s portrait rights and it is a kind of crime if it is not approved in advance. If paparazzi take a picture of celebrities, it can not be used as a commercial purpose but some of them go against this law. They can be accused by the famous person who is in that picture. If the rumor is added, the punishment level can be raised. In conclusion, it is not appropriate both ethically and legally that media like newspapers and magazines convey private stories about celebrities. |