23h 57min, sep 1, 1997 y - Blame Towards the Paparazzi and the Media

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After the death of Princess/Lady Diana’s death on August 31, 1997, there was a huge culture shift in the way people saw the media. Many blamed the paparazzi for her death. The jurors ruled her being “unlawfully killed” since she was being chased by the press and the speedy driving of her driver. Hearing this, it became a wakeup call for the media. During this time, the Daily Mail swore to ban paparazzi photos from their website. It didn’t do much since their sales had dropped drastically. The people were angered at the press, even people who used to work for the media. Former editor of several celebrity publications Mark Frith said that he didn’t mention he worked for a magazine that published paparazzi pictures. The Protection from Harassment Act 1997 (PHA) came into force immediately after her death and it prohibits the harassment of another, especially when it comes to celebrities. The Press Complaints Commission (PCC) also upped their Editor’s Code of Practice which has been dubbed the “toughest set of press regulations” in Europe. Photographers could not take pictures of people in private places without their consent. It was ruled as unacceptable. Out of these set of rules, there was another that was the strictest. It concerned the privacy of children, especially the ones of celebrities. The media was not allowed to pursue or publish them without the permission of their parents. This was especially put into place when both Prince William and Prince Harry were photographed while they were at school.

- Victoria Phandara

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