Some Rules of the Road on Privacy



Privacy OutlineHow do reporters Minimize Harm and respect privacy while they report?Reporters ask:What is my journalistic purpose? Who are the stakeholders involved in each story? Right to privacy is on a continuum from right to know to need to know to want to know. Citizens of a democracy have the right to know about government information and government officials. And people need to know a lot of other information about health, education and other substantive topics. However much of what passes in the media today as news is really just information that people want to knowA general rule for determining how much information to publish about an individual is to determine how public that person is: the more public they are, the less expectation of privacy they have. Almost any information about a public official or candidate for office is relevant to citizens in a democracy Public figures, like celebrities and those who have chosen to involve themselves in public discussion of controversial issues, also are fair game for media scrutinyPrivate people generally get the most consideration when it comes to reporting Criminals have forfeited their expectation of privacyThose charged with crimes should expect their names and the circumstances of the charges to be public because they are public recordsVictims must be treated with respect and empathy. In relation to coverage of tragedies and disasters, reporters:Should not allow reporting to traumatize victims a second time Should consider not becoming part of a media horde by using wire coverage, forming reporting pools, working with local mediaShould, if they do go to a disaster scene, look for the deeper storyShould follow-up! For reasons of privacy, stories should not be published if they:Blame victims of rape, sexual harassment or violence generallyIdentify rape victims or juveniles charged with crimes“Out” anyone without their consent Report on suicides of private people unless they’re committed in pubic.Some Rules of the Road on PrivacyAlways identify yourself as a reporter. Generally, there is no expectation of privacy in publicRespect the expectation of privacy in homes, hospitals, schools and other such spaces Get permission to interview juveniles. Don’t take information from social media, including photos, without verifying its authenticity and getting permission for anything copyrighted MA requires two-party consent for audio-taping. Don’t trespass or invade someone’s space bodily or by electronic means, which can lead to criminal charges and/or invasion of privacy suits ................
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