What do the photos we take say about us - Research Paper Example

What do the Photos We Take Say about Us? What do the Photos We Take Say about Us? It is both unfair and unreasonable to expose personal snapshot photos of renowned people to the public without the former’s approval. This is not just because such exposure predisposes these famous people to unwarranted public scrutiny, but also violates their basic right to privacy (Rockwell & Giles, 2009). Famous people, just like ordinary members of the public, have a right to privacy. The principal implication, in this case, is that privacy is essential to every member of society, since it forms the basis for people’s ability to express themselves in their respective environs without any reservation.

Publication of Prince Harry’s nude photos irrefutably constitutes privacy violation, as can be discerned from the definition of private facts under privacy law. Private facts are information snippets about an individual’s personal life, which have not been previously disclosed to mainstream public and do not bear any justifiable public concern. Publication or disclosure of these private facts is also deemed offensive to reasonable persons in society (Nordhaus, 1999). Clearly, the Prince’s naked photos meet all these criteria.

First, intimate photographs of Prince Harry are not ordinarily available to the public. Secondly, the photos are not of any legitimate concern to the public, since the information does not bear any relevance to critical societal matters. Most importantly, any reasonable person would consider the naked photographs offensive. This is because nudity often typifies indecency, which goes against the conventional principles of morality, especially in conservative environments. In addition to the high level of offensiveness and lack of newsworthiness in Prince Harry’s personal photos, diverse media outlets that published the photos did not acquire consent from the subject.

This is a vital element when publishing private photographs. The act of publication, therefore, constituted unlawful use of private photographs and was decidedly unfair (Berkman Center for Internet and Society, 2008). Failure to obtain consent also points to the fact that, the respective media outlets solely focused on sensationalizing the photographs and gaining popularity ratings (Jobson, 2012), as opposed to portraying the Prince as a dignified public figure. The publication was, in consequence, morally wrong and disregarded journalistic ethics of responsible and unprejudiced reporting.

The unreasonable nature of the act is aggravated even further, by the fact that the subject was photographed in a private place. Precedent cases, like that of Navy Seals versus Associated Press, place emphasis on the distinction between private and public environs. In the case, some Navy Seals filed a law suit against a news agency, that is, The Associated Press, arguing that the latter published photos of them molesting Iraqi prisoners. The court ruled that the said pictures were not personal, since the plaintiffs were on duty, carrying out operations in full military garb, and in the open (Berkman Center for Internet and Society, 2008).

Unlike the Navy Seals, Prince Harry was on private property in a setting where he expected adequate concealment from public scrutiny. The privacy of the location further bolsters the perverse nature of the publication. Although the media is permitted to utilize vivid facts when reporting about public figures, in order to formulate a comprehensive and convincing depiction, there must be a rational link between private facts conveyed and legitimacy to public interest (Nordhaus, 1999). In Prince Harry’s case, there was no connection between his nude photos and his role in the military, as well as, in civil service.

Overall, the publication of the photos tarnished the subject’s character and portrayed him as a social deviant, who lounges naked. This case explicitly shows why it is unfair and unreasonable to disclose prominent persons’ private facts like photographs. ReferencesBerkman Center for Internet and Society. (2008). Publication of Private Facts. Retrieved from http://www.dmlp.org/legal-guide/publication-private-facts Jobson, R. (August 23, 2012). Nude Harry photos: How UK tabloids lost their sting.

CNN International. Retrieved from http://edition.cnn.com/2012/08/22/opinion/britain-harry-press-jobson/Nordhaus, J. (1999). Celebrities Right to Privacy: How Far should the Paparazzi be Allowed to go? The Review of Litigation, 18(2), 286-315. Rockwell, D. & Giles, D. (2009). Being a Celebrity: A Phenomenology of Fame. Journal of Phenomenological Psychology, 40, 178–210.