Week5 Discussion One Student Response

ThursdayMay 31 at 11:49am

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Exposing Private Behaviors of Public Figures

There are many private behaviors of public figures that attract the attention of citizens. It is up to journalists to decide which ones are worth exposing. For example, extramarital affairs, drug and alcohol abuse are some behaviors we may consider when trying to decide if we need to expose this individual or group of people. When is it appropriate to expose this type of information? “The easy answer is to publish or broadcast the information only if the private behavior clearly affects public performance or the larger society in some demonstrable way.” (Houston, pg. 113)

However, there is no way to expose this information or behaviors without invading the person’s privacy. “The two primary types of invasion of privacy actions are intrusion upon seclusion and publication of private facts. You can also be liable for portraying someone in a false light, misappropriating their image or likeness, violating their right of publicity, or even for fraud or trespass over gathering the news.” (Reporters Committee, n.d.) There are many things to consider when deciding to expose private behaviors of public figures and one of them is the ruining the reputation of the public figure along with your own. If you expose someone and the information does not hold up, you may ruin so many opportunities for the public figure or for yourself. Not to mention, there could be legal actions taken against you by the public figure. This is where the journalist needs to decide if the information is worth it. Is the information important enough to expose?

Heather Chavez

Houston, B. (2009). The investigative reporter’s handbook: A guide to documents, databases, and techniques (5th). Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin

Reporters Committee. (n.d.) Invasion of Privacy. Retrieved from https://www.rcfp.org/digital-journalists-legal-guide/invasion-privacy