Jane E. Kirtley

The term “paparazzi,” which often has negative connotations, refers to photographers who pursue celebrities in order to take candid photographs of them. In the following viewpoint, Jane E. Kirtley argues that passing laws to restrict the actions of paparazzi who harass celebrities, such as those who were chasing Princess Diana when she was killed in a car crash in August 1997, would violate the First Amendment. Distinguishing between “legitimate” news gatherers and paparazzi would be impossible, she contends, and would lead to a suppression of dissent. Those whose rights to privacy are truly violated have options to seek redress under civil laws, she maintains. Kirtley, a lawyer and former newspaper reporter, is the executive director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press in Arlington, Virginia.

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