People Magazine, Paparazzi Hound Michelle Williams
 Wednesday, February 13th, 2008

Ninety-five percent of you voted yesterday that the paparazzi are out of control now, and there should be laws against it.  98% of you voted that Entertainment Tonight's coverage on Heath Ledger's private life was sleazy sensationalism, not news.  And now, up creeps People Mag - who we've given so many kudos to in the past for avoiding invasive "celebrity news" - publishing photos of the private burial and ceremony amongst Ledger's family; and paparazzi shots of Michelle Williams returning to New York City, mouth downturned, face pale and drawn.

Of Michelle and family splashing around in the ocean at the private beach memorial service. 

Perhaps they were not listening when Michelle and Heath's family respectfully requested they be given time out of the public eye to grieve in private.  Or, more likely, they saw that traffic to their site over news of Michelle Williams, and of Heath Ledger's death, indicated interest.  Which equals money.

What media outlets are taking advantage of is that searches for Heath Ledger skyrocketed because the public cares, not because they don't.  Everyone felt that pain.  But if every person that read your article knew that you were paying photogs like Splash News Online and even Getty Images (for shame, Getty!) to give you unsolicited pictures of Michelle Williams and the Ledger family against their explicit wishes, they probably would be angry.

Well, you've voted on ConnieTalk about what you do and do not consider "news," and we're listening.  And taking action.  Here's what we've already done , and you can do, too (easily!).

 
Copy and paste the following into an e-mail to editor@people.com, and splashblog@splashnews.com:

Dear People Magazine and Splash News Online, We find it to be a sleazy, trashy, sensationalistic excuse for news that you have Heath Ledger's family and Michelle Williams on your front pages in their most private grieving moments. To pay photographers for pictures of a family at a private memorial service and on their way home from one - who explicitly requested that you allow them time to heal outside of the public eye - is amoral and disgusting. Instead of appealing to your morals, however (since those so heavily lack in the media these days), we simply request that you cease to publish such material. We are regular readers of your website(s) and magazine, but will completely stop purchasing and visiting should you choose to ignore this e-mail and continue with your invasive treatment of these families. Do you plan to publish further paparazzi photos of Michelle Williams going to the store? Or will you grow a heart? Sincerely, [YOUR NAME]

If we do not get a satisfactory response, we're also removing People from our News & Blogroll.  We do not support invasive photography like that.

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