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UCCA 102.11

Dr. Dedo

November 24, 1998

Media Regulation

The death of Princess Diana on August 31, 1997 shocked the world; her death was considered the biggest tragedy of the year, and the media responded accordingly. Her death prompted the media into a frenzy to sanctify her memory; however, through the documentaries and commemorative magazines, the media proved their guilt of invasion of Princess Diana’s privacy by displaying the immense amount of information they gathered throughout her life. In fact, a week before she died, she vacationed in Greece with writer friend Rosa Monckton, and they tried to outsmart the paparazzi for simple privacy. Diana said to Monckton, "It’s a hunt, Rosa. It’s a hunt. Will you really tell people what it is like?" The article expressing to people the paparazzi’s hunt lay half-written on a desk when Monckton learned her friend died being "hunted to her death" (108-109). This opened my eyes to the fact that the media needs limitations. The media should refrain from intruding into the personal lives of people, and in the United States the problem is evident throughout media history. Proper actions can be taken in the United States to hinder invasion of privacy by the media without reducing the power of the first amendment. If the United States adopted an organization similar to Great Britain’s Press Complaints Commission which self-regulates their media, it would be a great start for protecting people’s right of privacy from the media in the United States.

The media in the United States did not begin by reporting the private lives of people in the news or people in the public eye. The 1960‘s introduced publicizing people through the media in the United States with "The Case Against Milo Radulovich, A0589839". A complete news program dedicated its time to the forced resignation of Air Force officer Radulovich because of his "having radical leanings" (Sobel 314). The show tried to be impartial and allowed the Air Force time on the air; however, the public’s discourse toward the Air Force exhibited the ability of the media to sway public opinion by diving into an individual’s life.

To add to the news, tabloid shows formed with the purpose of displaying the private lives of individuals. Hard Copy and Current Affair go "inside" to uncover personal details about famous people. Their intention is to uncover as much unnecessary details on anyone in the news. Even more conservative shows such as 20/20, 60 Minutes, and 48 Hours dig up information on the lives of public officials and celebrities and then air the intrusive details on their programs.

The media’s loss of control regarding privacy rights shows clearly throughout many cases in the United States that exhibit the media’s desire to entertain through the exploitation of people. For instance, during the "Lorena Bobbitt Week" people could not watch the news without hearing of how this woman cut off her husband’s reproductive organ with a butcher knife; the story dominated the headlines across the nation. At the same time, a uranium leak occurred in the Northeast, but this story of a possible radiation breakout became minor compared to the Bobbitt situation (Day 12).

Also, one cannot forget the infamous "O.J. Summer." The chase of the white Bronco aired on all major networks, and within the first six months " . . . there had been 27 thousand newspaper and magazine stories on the case . . ." (Day 7-8). If the media had merely discussed the trial and the murders, information from them would have been respected. However, the media began discussing items about O.J. that did not relate in any way to the murder case. During this summer outrageous feature stories played on various news programs: the hair replacement specialist of Lyle Menendez who supposedly received information from O.J. in jail, the women on O.J.’s exercise tapes, and look-alikes of O.J. and Nicole (Day 10). These irrelevant stories aired on all types of programs, even national news.

The media’s nosiness and rudeness also intervenes in the lives of public officials in the United States. When Kathleen Gingrich, Newt Gingrich’s mother, slipped by telling Connie Chung what her son thought of First Lady Hillary Rodham-Clinton, Ms. Gingrich understood this conversation to be in confidentiality. However, the next day the country learned about Newt’s expression of the president’s wife on television, newspapers, and magazines (Day 81). This instance clearly shows the media’s lack of respect regarding someone telling them something in confidence.

Invasion of privacy even occurs with average people in the United States who make the news. When Sara Jane Moore attempted to assassinate President Gerald Ford, Oliver W. Sipple nudged the gun so that the bullet missed the president. Oliver W. Sipple was pronounced a hero, right? Somewhat, the media announced Sipple as the "gay hero." In addition, the Simpson maid, Rosa Lopez, became a key witness in the trial for the murders. Thus, the media tracked her down and followed her. She became so tired of the harassment that she returned to her native country where the media already awaited her arrival (Day 77-78). Also, when Baby Jessica fell into the well in Texas, the media could not focus only on the tragedy; they brought up the child’s family situation and her parents’ stressful marriage (Weiss 94-96).

With so many violations of people’s privacy in the United States, something must be done to hinder the media’s exploitation of individuals. An example of another country taking action on regulating the media is Great Britain’s Press Complaints Commission. In 1991 Great Britain established the Press Complaints Commission to ensure that newspapers and magazines follow a Code of Ethics written by media editors ("About" 1). Regarding privacy, the Code of Ethics states, "Everyone is entitled to respect for his or her private and family life, home, health, and correspondence. A publication will be expected to justify intrusions into any individual’s private life without their consent." Regarding harassment, the Code of Ethics says, "They [the media] must not photograph individuals in private places without their consent; must not persist in telephoning, questioning, pursuing or photographing individuals after having been asked to desist; must not remain on their property after having been asked to leave and must not follow them" ("Code" 2-3). Great Britain’s citizens can contact the Press Complaints Commission with their complaints of the media’s violation of the Code of Ethics via telephone, letter, or Internet. Since establishment, the Press Complaints Commission has received over 3,000 complaints, most of which were resolved directly by editors ("Key" 1). The Press Complaints Commission provides this service to keep the media within ethical standards; however, since media editors wrote the Code of Ethics, it does not lessen the freedom of the press. This Code of Ethics protects the media and the individual from conflict that may occur concerning reporting and gathering of information.

A similar council already exists in one state in the United States. The Minnesota News Council was set up in 1971, and it has received over 1,650 complaints ("Minnesota" 1). The only difference between the Minnesota News Council and the Press Complaints Commission is that the Minnesota News Council hears all complaints publicly rather than privately(Shaw 4). Regarding the success of the council, founder Bob Shaw writes, "The public, though, loves the idea of a council, and the public needs it." He also says that through the council the public respects the media in Minnesota more than before the council was formed (discovered by Dr. Louise Hermanson through research) (1-2). Also, like the Press Complaints Commission, media editors make up the laws for the Minnesota News Council to follow, so it doesn’t violate the Constitution. Shaw states, "Our First Amendment instructs government to keep its hands off the press. It says nothing about peer review" (6). Through 26 years of success, the Minnesota News Council has been able to protect people from the media without disregarding the First Amendment that the United States strongly upholds.

If the United States were to design a commission to regulate the media, the Code of Ethics used by the Press Complaints Commission could similarly apply to the United States. Unlike the Minnesota News Council, the United States would have to here complaints outside of mere public hearings to attend to the needs of all U.S. citizens. Should the United States decide to set up a commission to regulate the media, it should be self-regulated by media editors so as not to break the First Amendment. It should also be divided so that each state could have its own commission; this allows for all citizens’ complaints to be heard fairly. Then, if the states’ commission could not solve the issue, there would be a federal commission to hear the case. This layout of the commission would best suit the United States’ needs of self-regulating the media, and it would do so within the law set up by the Constitution.

With the success of the Minnesota News Council, it’s been proven that self-regulation of the media can work in the United States, and one sees regulation needed through the media’s growing trend to exploit people. The press has become too vicious in trying to uncover stories, and through their hounding, they hurt and humiliate people. This conduct is unethical and causes people to think ill of the media. With a department like Press Complaints Commission in Great Britain, the United States could regulate the media’s techniques of gathering information on individuals. If it were set up by media editors, like the Press Complaints Commission, it would not violate the Constitution, and it would protect people in the news. Therefore, if the United States could establish a federal commission like Great Britain’s Press Complaints Commission, maybe the media would be more respectful of people, and, in turn, the people would respect the media.

Works Cited

Day, Nancy. Sensational TV. Springfield, New Jersey: Enslow Publishers, Inc., 1996.

"Key Benefits of the System of Self Regulation." Available:

"Minnesota News Council Determinations." Available:

Monckton, Rosa. "My Friend Diana." Newsweek Commemorative Issue: Diana, A

Celebration of Her Life. October 1997: 108-112.

Shaw, Bob. "How to Start a News Council." Available:

Sobel, Robert. The Manipulators. Garden City, New York: Anchor Press/Doubleday, 1976.

Weiss, Ann E. Who’s to Know? Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1990.