ABSTRACT
The Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics addresses a number of issues related to privacy. Since the early days of the profession, journalists and editors have faced the challenge of balancing the privacy rights of people in the news with the public’s right to know what is happening in their communities and around the nation. Different policies are often applied in the cases of sexual assault victims, however. Prior to 1975, most states had laws prohibiting the media from publishing or broadcasting the names of sexual assault victims. One of the most common applications of privacy theory to private individuals occurs when the individual has been the victim or alleged victim of a crime. The harassment of public figures—especially Hollywood celebrities—has been a problem ever since the media began reporting on those individuals’ private lives in the late twentieth century.
