Or whatever it is that they’re called, the ones that don’t have the same expectations of privacy that regular people do?
If I type a blog in a forest and no one reads it, does it make a statement?
((Then again, I think I only have 5 people who read my blog anyhow))
Good question. IANAL. But I think the idea behind the lower standards of privacy for public persons is based on the idea that society’s interest in the truth about such folks somewhat outweighs their interest in privacy, especially when, and since, they deal in public matters.
So I’m thinking that unless you have a HUGE readership, you’re safe—but if you have some particular concern, it’s worth it to hire a lawyer for yourself.
Even public figures are allowed their privacy, though people can take photos of them in a public place. But if someone broke into their home to take their photo, they’d have the same rights as anyone else.
If you mean a public figure under the libel laws, it depends. It isn’t the blog that would give the status, but rather the publicity about the blog. Just writing a blog would not automatically make you a public figure. However, if a news network ran a story on a particular installment of your blog, and someone ridicules you because of it, then you’d be a limited public figure and have little recourse under the libel law.
The chances are remote that anything like this would happen, though.