Week 7 - Privacy and public interest

There is a news caused a great concern among the celebrities in Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong actor Wong Chung Chak's nude photos at home were splashed across the covers of some Hong Kong tabloids in recent days. He said that, as a celebrity, he already expected that he will have no privacy, but the nude photos were taken in his bedroom. He mentioned that he usually did not draw the curtains as he preferred to let sunlight into his apartment and had a habit of not wearing clothes just after showering.And this gives a great convenience to the paparazzi to snap photos of him naked.The tabloids also showed Wong's girlfriend Myolie Wu, who recently moved into the apartment above his, visiting and sharing meals with him. Hong Kong television giant TVB issued a statement condemning the actions of these paparazzi and the tabloids they worked for."Photographing our artistes when they are in their homes, in their rooms no less, is immoral and violates their right to privacy.nWe (TVB) condemn these acts and appealto the media to observe reporting ethics and standards," said TVB in a statement, adding that the company and its artistes reserved the right to seek legal redress.Wong's colleagues also showed their support by condemning the tabloids. They said that they can't understand that some people taking photographs on the sly and fabricating stories to attracting readers and increasing sales.

In my personal opinion, the media practitioners can not always use 'press freedom' as an execuse. Home, which is a place that someone should be feeling the most at ease.

However, when we talk about privacy, it is a quite controversial topic, as different people hold different opinions. So, to what extent is the public should know? Do we really have the right to know when Paris Hilton is fall in love with a new guy,or when did a celebrity couple married?

On the issue of celebrities privacy, the artist should be aware that the job they are doing is requires high exposure. They should know that their photos will published on the newspapers, magazines very often; they will become a topic of discussion. But this does not mean that they agree they will expose all their parts to the public, they still have the privacy right. Hong Kong paparazzi have been able to shoot these photos and published to the public showed the government's dereliction of duty in this area. Only moral condemnation is not enough, they should publish some laws and regulations to regulate the practitioner's activity.