California Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill preventing paparazzi from taking photos or videotapes of a child in an harassing manner if the child’s parent is a celebrity or public official. The penalty for violating the law is up to a year in prison and a possible fine of $10,000. The California Newspaper Publishers Association opposed the bill as contrary to the First Amendment rights to gather news in public places where there is no guarantee of privacy. (The Los Angeles Times, September 24, 2013, by Patrick McGreevy)
Many in the media industry oppose the law as overly broad in restricting First Amendment rights and are afraid other states will pass similar laws. One journalism professor said he thought the law would not be effective in accomplishing its goal, “There will be an endless supply of hungry and ambitious photographers (or even people with cellphones) stepping up to fill the void.” (The Christian Science Monitor, September 25, 2013, by Gloria Goodale)