Media Intrusion into the Private Lives of Celebrities
(2004)Department of Law
- Abstract
- The question addressed by this thesis is to what extent celebrities enjoy the right to privacy when the media prints photographs of them or private information about them. In order to answer this question, the strength of freedom of the press and freedom of expression is examined, since determining the right to privacy in relation to media intrusion involves balancing the right to privacy with freedom of expression. It is concluded that, since non-political forms of freedom of expression do not enjoy such strong protection, the freedom of expression enjoyed by newspapers that print gossip about celebrities will not be weighted highly against the celebrity's right to privacy. The scope of the right to privacy is also discussed, where it is... (More)
- The question addressed by this thesis is to what extent celebrities enjoy the right to privacy when the media prints photographs of them or private information about them. In order to answer this question, the strength of freedom of the press and freedom of expression is examined, since determining the right to privacy in relation to media intrusion involves balancing the right to privacy with freedom of expression. It is concluded that, since non-political forms of freedom of expression do not enjoy such strong protection, the freedom of expression enjoyed by newspapers that print gossip about celebrities will not be weighted highly against the celebrity's right to privacy. The scope of the right to privacy is also discussed, where it is observed that there are great difficulties in defining the scope of the right to privacy and great inconsistency in the application of the right, which ultimately weakens the right to privacy. It is submitted that the right should be more clearly defined, with certain types of behaviour, such as consensual adult sexual activities and medical information where the patient is not a danger to others, falling within the sphere of intimate private life, therefore always being protected by the right to privacy, while other cases should be defined according to an objective test. This would provide appropriate privacy protection to celebrities, without unjustly limiting freedom of the press. This thesis makes it clear that celebrities enjoy the same right to privacy as other people when the media prints photographs of them or private information about them. Therefore, a newspaper may not publish information about a celebrity's private life, or publish a photograph which pictures them carrying out a private activity, unless the celebrity has chosen to make that area of their private life public. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/1554826
- author
- Campbell, Helen Elizabeth
- supervisor
- organization
- year
- 2004
- type
- H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
- subject
- keywords
- International Human Rights Law
- language
- English
- id
- 1554826
- date added to LUP
- 2010-03-08 15:22:38
- date last changed
- 2010-03-08 15:22:38
@misc{1554826,
abstract = {{The question addressed by this thesis is to what extent celebrities enjoy the right to privacy when the media prints photographs of them or private information about them. In order to answer this question, the strength of freedom of the press and freedom of expression is examined, since determining the right to privacy in relation to media intrusion involves balancing the right to privacy with freedom of expression. It is concluded that, since non-political forms of freedom of expression do not enjoy such strong protection, the freedom of expression enjoyed by newspapers that print gossip about celebrities will not be weighted highly against the celebrity's right to privacy. The scope of the right to privacy is also discussed, where it is observed that there are great difficulties in defining the scope of the right to privacy and great inconsistency in the application of the right, which ultimately weakens the right to privacy. It is submitted that the right should be more clearly defined, with certain types of behaviour, such as consensual adult sexual activities and medical information where the patient is not a danger to others, falling within the sphere of intimate private life, therefore always being protected by the right to privacy, while other cases should be defined according to an objective test. This would provide appropriate privacy protection to celebrities, without unjustly limiting freedom of the press. This thesis makes it clear that celebrities enjoy the same right to privacy as other people when the media prints photographs of them or private information about them. Therefore, a newspaper may not publish information about a celebrity's private life, or publish a photograph which pictures them carrying out a private activity, unless the celebrity has chosen to make that area of their private life public.}},
author = {{Campbell, Helen Elizabeth}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Media Intrusion into the Private Lives of Celebrities}},
year = {{2004}},
}