Zoey Davis / Editor

---

   Paparazzi has a long history of negative publicity; some may say they bring more harm than good. The concept of picturing celebrities to bring revenue has been around for ages, dating back to the mid-1900s.  

     “In 1958, Tazio Secchiaroli discovered that editors paid him more money for ‘surprise’ pictures of celebrities rather than the usual glossy, studio hand-outs,” scholarship.law.slu.edu said.

     In recent decades, there have been changes and growth within the paparazzi circles. Especially in places where a celebrity is bound to be seen, they are rampant.

     Every camera is begging to be the first shot, the unique shot or whatever else will sell. Paparazzi are known to be ruthless and invasive. Their entire job is to capture every move of people in Hollywood.  

     “In the past 10 years, there [has been] a well-documented history of several celebrities having violent or dangerous run-ins with the paparazzi…The value of the shots has gone up in recent years as society has become more obsessed with celebrity culture,” scholarship.law.wm.edu said.

      Aurora Riley, a junior, names the paparazzi rude and distasteful. The paparazzi is known for stalking and harassing celebrities with a camera. They could be doing day-to-day things and would be forced to have a camera shoved in their face. 

     “It’s weird that just because somebody got their success for doing the thing that they love, that it is just socially accepted that it should come with such a harmful downside,” Riley said.

     Many times, the paparazzi do not even care about the famous person. They just want a photo of said famous person to sell. This can go for non-paparazzi as well; people just want the experience of saying they met a celebrity–even if they don’t know the person or their works. 

     “It should be socially acceptable to take offense [at] these people using [them for views]” Riley said.

     Magazines and articles criticize celebrities’ bodies, the way they look and even their personality. They cannot go outside or have a normal interaction without it being used as press. 

     Emily Bradach, another junior, shared a similar opinion. She claims the paparazzi is exploitative and takes advantage of celebrities. Paparazzi is also famous for their stalking and harassment–some even going as far as to cause hefty damages like car crashes.

     Bradach explained how celebrities should not be expected to engage and be respectful to paparazzi: They should have the opportunity to choose how they interact with paparazzi. 

     “I don’t think [celebrities owe paparazzi] anything…If they think that they’re harassing them and they don’t want their lives to be exploited by paparazzi, then they should have the choice to not indulge with that,” Bradach said. 

     Although the paparazzi’s work and words can be harmful, they are unfortunately protected by the First Amendment; nevertheless, their words and reporting can come to a certain point where it turns into a court case, where the celebrity may have a solid legal case. 

     “The Supreme Court has since recognized a constitutional right to privacy…It is important, however, to balance this right to privacy with the persistent value of civic republicanism by preserving the potency of the freedom of the press clause of the First Amendment,” digitalcommons.nyls.edu said.

     To capture a photo in a public place, reporting on clickbait, etc., is not a crime in itself. When paparazzi become dangerous is when they start to do either mental or physical damage, or damage to a person’s career or image. 

     A person’s right to record, photograph or broadcast a conversation or images is protected by the First Amendment, if all parties consent. Some states only require one party to consent to a recording, whereas other state laws require permission and consent for a face-to-face interview or photograph. 

     “While the First Amendment grants photographers and journalists the ability to publish the photos they take, there are limitations on their behavior, such as slander and libel, as well as the fundamental privacy rights of others,” saratogafalcon.org said.

     Paparazzi have been toeing the line between investigative journalism and aggressive stalking. Although they may not have created the best reputation for themselves, paparazzi feed the internet’s rumors more than any other source. 

     The paparazzi would not be as big as it is without the people feeding it. The general audience keeps craving any source of media from their favorite artist, performer or actor.

     “It is the public who buys the papers, watches the news and turns the channel to get the latest developments. While Americans want the gossip, however, they yearn for a time when we kept secrets to ourselves,” digitalcommons.nyls.edu said.