{"id":331,"date":"2015-04-05T23:58:14","date_gmt":"2015-04-05T23:58:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/accintrotomedia\/chapter\/14-1-ethics-of-mass-media\/"},"modified":"2022-01-07T19:32:50","modified_gmt":"2022-01-07T19:32:50","slug":"14-1-ethics-of-mass-media","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/accintrotomedia\/chapter\/14-1-ethics-of-mass-media\/","title":{"raw":"14.1 Ethics of Mass Media","rendered":"14.1 Ethics of Mass Media"},"content":{"raw":"
\n

TMZ, Tabloids, and Celebrity Gossip: Freedom of the Press or Invasion of Privacy?<\/h2>\n
\n

Figure 14.1<\/span> <\/p>\n \"14.1.0\"

Maryland GovPics - Press Gaggle<\/a> - CC BY 2.0.<\/p><\/a><\/div><\/center>\n

The U.S. Constitution\u2019s First Amendment guarantees Americans freedom of the press, which many would agree is an important ingredient in upholding democratic principles. Freedom from government censorship allows the news media to keep citizens informed about the state of their society. But when does the press take this freedom from censorship and restriction too far? The death of Princess Diana in 1997 brought fierce criticism against the paparazzi, and tabloid reporting in general, when it was found that the princess\u2019s car had been pursued by paparazzi vehicles before the crash that caused her death. Since then, the public\u2019s interest in celebrity gossip has not diminished; rather, the growth of online news sources has led to a proliferation of celebrity gossip websites.<\/p>\n

A potential concern regarding this trend is that tabloid-style gossip is not confined to public figures in the entertainment industry; it can have far-reaching consequences. The firing of General Stanley McChrystal from his post as commander of all U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan in June 2010 was nearly the direct result of an article in Rolling Stone<\/em>, in which he made less-than-flattering comments about Vice President Joe Biden (Hastings, 2010). McChrystal himself did not directly criticize the president or the administration\u2019s policies; instead, his views were inferred from comments made by his aides (MSNBC, 2010). However, this was sufficient to cost him his job. In recent years, tabloid reporting has become increasingly invasive and sometimes dangerous.<\/p>\n

Should the government begin placing stronger regulations on tabloid reporting as privacy advocates have argued? The Constitution, after all, while guaranteeing freedom of the press, also guarantees individuals certain rights to privacy, and most journalists would agree that standards of ethical journalism include efforts to protect these rights. However, some paparazzi photographers and celebrity journalists disregard journalistic codes of ethics in their efforts to get a story (Alach, 2008). Many argue that because celebrities are \u201cpublic figures,\u201d the same privacy rights that protect the general public don\u2019t apply. Us Weekly<\/em>\u2019s editor in chief, Janice Min, has argued, \u201cA celebrity is like an elected official. If you\u2019re getting paid $20 million a movie, you have to rely on public goodwill to stay in office. You have to accept the fact that you\u2019re a public commodity (Freydkin, 2004).\u201d Harvey Levin, editor in chief for the popular celebrity gossip blog TMZ, would agree. When discussing invasions into the private lives of stars like Britney Spears, Levin proclaimed that \u201cBritney is gold; she is crack to our readers. Her life is a complete train-wreck and I thank God for her every day (New York Times, 2009).\u201d<\/p>\n

On the other side of the debate, many argue that the public-figure limitation should be balanced with the consideration of a story\u2019s newsworthiness. As law professor Patrick J. Alack has argued, \u201cIf \u2018social value\u2019 is what constitutes newsworthiness, it is hard to imagine a more perverse concept of social value that incorporates\u2026Paris Hilton\u2019s late-night dining preferences or Lindsay Lohan\u2019s driving habits.\u201d1<\/sup><\/p>\n

TMZ, a website that publishes celebrity news in real time, was launched in 2005, and since its creation the site has received numerous criticisms from more prestigious news sources like The Washington Post<\/em> and ABC News. Yet Thane Burnett, reporter for The Toronto Sun<\/em>, admits that \u201cdespite the sideways glances, mainstream news services prowl TMZ\u2019s site for coverage (Burnett, 2009).\u201d With the immediacy of Internet news coverage, mainstream media outlets face increasing pressure to release major news while it is still fresh. That pressure is compounded by celebrity gossip sites like TMZ that may resort to unorthodox methods to gather information; the shelf life of breaking news is growing increasingly shorter.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n1<\/sup>Alach, \u201cPaparazzi and Privacy,\u201d 237.\n\n

References<\/h2>\n\nAlach, Patrick J. \u201cPaparazzi and Privacy,\u201d Loyola of Los Angeles Entertainment Law Review<\/em> 28, no. 3 (2008): 205.\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\nBurnett, Thane. \u201cCaught on Camera,\u201d Toronto Sun<\/em>, May 12, 2009, http:\/\/www.torontosun.com\/entertainment\/celebrities\/2009\/05\/12\/9429036-sun.html<\/a>.\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\nFreydkin, Donna. \u201cCelebrities Fight for Privacy,\u201d USA Today<\/em>, July 6, 2004, http:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/life\/people\/2004-07-06-celeb-privacy_x.htm<\/a>.\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\nHastings, Michael. \u201cThe Runaway General,\u201d Rolling Stone<\/em>, June 25, 2010, http:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/politics\/news\/17390\/119236<\/a>.\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\nMSNBC, \u201cObama, McCain, Kerry Comment on McChrystal,\u201d June 22, 2010, http:\/\/www.msnbc.msn.com\/id\/37850711\/ns\/us_news-military\/<\/a>.\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\nNew York Times, \u201cTMZ Productions,\u201d Times Topics, July 7, 2009, http:\/\/topics.nytimes.com\/top\/news\/business\/companies\/tmz_productions\/index.html?scp=1-spot&sq=tmz&st=cse<\/a>.","rendered":"
\n

TMZ, Tabloids, and Celebrity Gossip: Freedom of the Press or Invasion of Privacy?<\/h2>\n
\n
\n

Figure 14.1<\/span> <\/p>\n

\"14.1.0\"<\/p>\n

Maryland GovPics – <\/p>\n

<\/a>Press Gaggle<\/a> – CC BY 2.0.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The U.S. Constitution\u2019s First Amendment guarantees Americans freedom of the press, which many would agree is an important ingredient in upholding democratic principles. Freedom from government censorship allows the news media to keep citizens informed about the state of their society. But when does the press take this freedom from censorship and restriction too far? The death of Princess Diana in 1997 brought fierce criticism against the paparazzi, and tabloid reporting in general, when it was found that the princess\u2019s car had been pursued by paparazzi vehicles before the crash that caused her death. Since then, the public\u2019s interest in celebrity gossip has not diminished; rather, the growth of online news sources has led to a proliferation of celebrity gossip websites.<\/p>\n

A potential concern regarding this trend is that tabloid-style gossip is not confined to public figures in the entertainment industry; it can have far-reaching consequences. The firing of General Stanley McChrystal from his post as commander of all U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan in June 2010 was nearly the direct result of an article in Rolling Stone<\/em>, in which he made less-than-flattering comments about Vice President Joe Biden (Hastings, 2010). McChrystal himself did not directly criticize the president or the administration\u2019s policies; instead, his views were inferred from comments made by his aides (MSNBC, 2010). However, this was sufficient to cost him his job. In recent years, tabloid reporting has become increasingly invasive and sometimes dangerous.<\/p>\n

Should the government begin placing stronger regulations on tabloid reporting as privacy advocates have argued? The Constitution, after all, while guaranteeing freedom of the press, also guarantees individuals certain rights to privacy, and most journalists would agree that standards of ethical journalism include efforts to protect these rights. However, some paparazzi photographers and celebrity journalists disregard journalistic codes of ethics in their efforts to get a story (Alach, 2008). Many argue that because celebrities are \u201cpublic figures,\u201d the same privacy rights that protect the general public don\u2019t apply. Us Weekly<\/em>\u2019s editor in chief, Janice Min, has argued, \u201cA celebrity is like an elected official. If you\u2019re getting paid $20 million a movie, you have to rely on public goodwill to stay in office. You have to accept the fact that you\u2019re a public commodity (Freydkin, 2004).\u201d Harvey Levin, editor in chief for the popular celebrity gossip blog TMZ, would agree. When discussing invasions into the private lives of stars like Britney Spears, Levin proclaimed that \u201cBritney is gold; she is crack to our readers. Her life is a complete train-wreck and I thank God for her every day (New York Times, 2009).\u201d<\/p>\n

On the other side of the debate, many argue that the public-figure limitation should be balanced with the consideration of a story\u2019s newsworthiness. As law professor Patrick J. Alack has argued, \u201cIf \u2018social value\u2019 is what constitutes newsworthiness, it is hard to imagine a more perverse concept of social value that incorporates\u2026Paris Hilton\u2019s late-night dining preferences or Lindsay Lohan\u2019s driving habits.\u201d1<\/sup><\/p>\n

TMZ, a website that publishes celebrity news in real time, was launched in 2005, and since its creation the site has received numerous criticisms from more prestigious news sources like The Washington Post<\/em> and ABC News. Yet Thane Burnett, reporter for The Toronto Sun<\/em>, admits that \u201cdespite the sideways glances, mainstream news services prowl TMZ\u2019s site for coverage (Burnett, 2009).\u201d With the immediacy of Internet news coverage, mainstream media outlets face increasing pressure to release major news while it is still fresh. That pressure is compounded by celebrity gossip sites like TMZ that may resort to unorthodox methods to gather information; the shelf life of breaking news is growing increasingly shorter.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

1<\/sup>Alach, \u201cPaparazzi and Privacy,\u201d 237.<\/p>\n

References<\/h2>\n

Alach, Patrick J. \u201cPaparazzi and Privacy,\u201d Loyola of Los Angeles Entertainment Law Review<\/em> 28, no. 3 (2008): 205.<\/p>\n

Burnett, Thane. \u201cCaught on Camera,\u201d Toronto Sun<\/em>, May 12, 2009, http:\/\/www.torontosun.com\/entertainment\/celebrities\/2009\/05\/12\/9429036-sun.html<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Freydkin, Donna. \u201cCelebrities Fight for Privacy,\u201d USA Today<\/em>, July 6, 2004, http:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/life\/people\/2004-07-06-celeb-privacy_x.htm<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Hastings, Michael. \u201cThe Runaway General,\u201d Rolling Stone<\/em>, June 25, 2010, http:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/politics\/news\/17390\/119236<\/a>.<\/p>\n

MSNBC, \u201cObama, McCain, Kerry Comment on McChrystal,\u201d June 22, 2010, http:\/\/www.msnbc.msn.com\/id\/37850711\/ns\/us_news-military\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n

New York Times, \u201cTMZ Productions,\u201d Times Topics, July 7, 2009, http:\/\/topics.nytimes.com\/top\/news\/business\/companies\/tmz_productions\/index.html?scp=1-spot&sq=tmz&st=cse<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"menu_order":9,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-331","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":329,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/accintrotomedia\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/331","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/accintrotomedia\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/accintrotomedia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/accintrotomedia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/32"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/accintrotomedia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=331"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/accintrotomedia\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/331\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":332,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/accintrotomedia\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/331\/revisions\/332"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/accintrotomedia\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/329"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/accintrotomedia\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/331\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/accintrotomedia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=331"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/accintrotomedia\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=331"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/accintrotomedia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=331"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/accintrotomedia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=331"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}