Are news stations allowed to film people without their consent?
Based on this question. Which asks if a local news station were to bust you for illegal parking, would you move? It made me question, are news stations allowed to film people if the person explicitly said they don’t want to be filmed? In the situation above, when someone is being busted for doing something they shouldn’t, I can’t imagine lots of people would be wanting to be filmed.
Doesn’t matter what specific situation unless it matters when it comes to whether or not they are allowed to film without consent. (Meaning one situation allows it but another one wouldn’t)
TV shows like Impractical Jokers and such need written consent to film someone. Why wouldn’t news stations need the same consent?
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5 Answers
This page covers a number of scenarios.
Anyone can film anybody. Publicizing, airing, or printing their image requires a release form signed by them. (Generally speaking.)
The answer has to be yes, since they do it all the time and I cannot imagine every TV station in America breaking the law 10 times a day.
The stupidest thing a person can do, if they are on TV, is to say something. That’s what makes people look dumb on TV. Keep your mouth shut.
I was approached by a local news crew at a gas station and they asked if they could film me. They wanted my opinion about the upcoming election (Clinton/Dole). I said no. The woman was a bit perturbed but I didn’t give in. They moved on to the next person trying to pump gas.
General rule is if it (“it” includes people) can be seen from a publicly accessible spot then it can be filmed or photographed. Release forms, however, are required when the footage is intended for commercial distribution. The difference between your local news and, say, Candid Camera, is that the local news isn’t released for commercial purposes. Yes, there will be commercial breaks during the news broadcast, but the news footage itself isn’t a commercial product. Candid Camera (or what have you), on the other hand, is filmed, packaged and distributed as a commercial product.
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