# Ethics of using this news video (drunk guy, abusive woman) **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 19, 2007, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethics-of-using-this-news-video-drunk-guy-abusive-woman/419771 "2007-09-19T18:17:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethics-of-using-this-news-video-drunk-guy-abusive-woman/419771/1 "2007-09-19T18:17:44Z")
In summary: guy gets stuck in chimney trying to play Santa for his “girlfriend”, emergency crews get him out, a news channel tracks him down after he gets out of the hospital. He keeps rambling on about how he’s drunk, and the “girlfriend,” (possibly drunk as well, or just really, really angry) rants at the camera and then throws beer bottles at the guy’s head twice. While the story itself is kind of interesting – guy goes down chimney, gets stuck, fire crews have to knock a hole in the wall to get him out – I’m not so sure the video was ethical to use, especially since one of the participants admitted he was drunk during filming. [http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/14147879/detail.html](http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/14147879/detail.html) Opinions? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethics-of-using-this-news-video-drunk-guy-abusive-woman/419771/2 "2007-09-19T18:28:44Z")
Ever seen an episode of cops? Intoxication on any substance doesn’t mean people have to give you a free pass. Even huge celebrities get embarrassed that way especially in recent months. I think the whole thing is tacky in a shock TV kind of way but there is neither anything new or special about what you are describing. ---
**Author:** ![Linty\_McGinty\_McGee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cc9497/32.png) [@Linty\_McGinty\_McGee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linty_McGinty_McGee)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethics-of-using-this-news-video-drunk-guy-abusive-woman/419771/3 "2007-09-19T18:33:43Z")
I doubt he had the required “expectation of privacy”. Not exactly a hidden camera ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethics-of-using-this-news-video-drunk-guy-abusive-woman/419771/4 "2007-09-19T18:34:27Z")
I read something about Cops that amazed me. The story said that everyone who appears on the show gets an opportunity to view the footage before signing the release to allow it’s use. It’s hard for me to imagine people watching themselves behave like that and thinking “Yeah, I want the world to see me like that!” I don’t know if news shows have to get releases or not. I’d bet they do. ---
**Author:** ![Phatlewt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a698b9/32.png) [@Phatlewt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phatlewt)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethics-of-using-this-news-video-drunk-guy-abusive-woman/419771/5 "2007-09-19T18:42:47Z")
The ethics flag that goes up for me is that this has no journalistic value at all. This is equally newsworthy as a story about first-grader Timmy Johnson having a huge crush on classmate Allison Jones. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethics-of-using-this-news-video-drunk-guy-abusive-woman/419771/6 "2007-09-19T18:47:04Z")
> [@](#): > > “I’ve dated a lot of psychos in my life, but nobody like that,” Deweese told the newspaper. I demand a follow-up story detailing the psychos she has dated! ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethics-of-using-this-news-video-drunk-guy-abusive-woman/419771/7 "2007-09-21T19:31:11Z")
I guess that guy never saw “Gremlins”. ---
**Author:** ![catsix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@catsix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/catsix)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethics-of-using-this-news-video-drunk-guy-abusive-woman/419771/8 "2007-09-21T22:55:53Z")
Well I guess the evidence is pretty abundant for assault charges against her, also.