by Lori Knoll

Created on: October 15, 2007

With the great demand and high payout for celebrity photos and information, paparazzi have taken their craft to an all new level of dangerous behavior. Paparazzi have become more intrusive and overzealous than ever.
History has shown us that the drive and determination that these reporters have can cause serious problems and in the most extreme cases death. There is no better example than the events that unfolded on August 31, 1997 Diana Princess of Wales , at the young age of 37 was killed in an automobile accident while being chased by paparazzi anxious to get that perfect picture of Diana and her companion, Dodi Al Fayed.

Although many people want to find a culprit, want to find someone to blame, the truth is the Paparazzi is not completely at fault. The public has a keen interest in what the celebrities are wearing, where they are shopping, who, they are dating and what they are doing. The rule of supply and demand is at its best here. The livelihood of these Journalists depends on our interest and the sale of these celebrity tabloids. All of the reasoning aside the question still remains when is enough, enough and when does doing your job turn into an infringement on a persons privacy. Celebrity or not all people deserve the basic ability to live their lives without the constant danger that has been known to surround celebrities when being hounded by the press.
In the Case of Dodi and Diana the problems with the media frenzy had gotten so out of hand that the bounty paid for one solitary photograph of Dodi and Diana the summer before her death were rumored to be worth $200, 00. The photo in question was taken aboard the Fayad Yacht Janikal. These pictures netted the photographer $200,000 setting the scene for media frenzy that would months later result in the tragic accident in which they paid the ultimate price, their lives.(Webseiten, 1998).
Although the death of Diana seemed to create changes, it was short lived for a couple of weeks the paparazzi seemed to change their ways and be more respectful of the personal lives of these celebrities, it did not last. One of the major problems with the paparazzi is the lack of consequence for their actions. After Diana's death, the members of the paparazzi that were present were arrested and their cameras were confiscated, however in the end the people arrested were released with only minor if any charges levied against them.
The trend of the paparazzi getting away with the stalking and intrusiveness does not stop

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