Hollywood.com Becomes First Major Entertainment News Publisher To Ban The Use Of Unauthorized Paparazzi Photos

BOCA RATON, Fla., March 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Hollywood.com today announced it would no longer publish paparazzi photos of celebrities taken without the celebrity's consent. It was reported to be a collective decision by the publisher's editorial board, art directors, and other staff and is notable because it is the first known major entertainment news publisher to adopt this policy.

"Many paparazzi have a long and well-documented history of aggressive harassment and provocation toward celebrities and public figures to the point of destroying ? and in some cases ? ending the lives of the very people they are following," said Heather Ata, Chief Marketing Officer, Hollywood.com. "We recognized that, as an entertainment news publisher, we had a choice ? and we've decided enough is enough so we're taking a stand. We hope other entertainment news and media companies around the globe will find the courage to do the same and join us in our move to #BanPaparazzi photos taken without consent of the celebrity."

Paparazzi are independent photographers who, often without permission, follow celebrities and public figures in their private life, filming videos and taking photographs with the intent to sell them to entertainment media and other news outlets for publishing.

The decision follows a groundswell of recent news, personal interviews and documentaries taking a closer look at the devastating impact some paparazzi have had on the lives of celebrities and public figures, specifically the emotional pain and suffering, loss of privacy, stalking, physical altercations and inherent fear that accompany being hunted 24/7 by strangers.

"There are a lot of great conversations around the concept of consent in recent years since the #MeToo movement. The notion of consent is key here, too ? and should apply to paparazzi because what they are doing is just another form of assault," added Ata. "The lack of consent inherent in the motivations of the paparazzi is something that needs to be examined and recognized for what it is: a complete lack of respect for the boundaries and private lives of celebrities, their families and their loved ones. Members of the paparazzi should not be rewarded anymore for their behavior."

Bringing Only Good News to Hollywood
A successful digital publisher for more than 20 years, Hollywood.com recently committed to focus on uplifting entertainment news coverage through its "Good in the Wood," "Hollygood" and "Green Hollywood" campaigns. Earlier this year, Hollywood.com pledged to stop posting about celebrity break-ups and surface-level gossip. The refusal to purchase or publish paparazzi photos taken without consent via the campaign to #BanPaparazzi furthers this editorial commitment to publish only feel-good stories about its readers' favorite entertainers.

In a lengthy article published Friday, March 5, the editorial team explained its decision this way: "All of us at Hollywood.com stand with our celebrity friends in their right not to be harassed anymore."

Fans of Hollywood.com have also joined the effort to #BanPaparazzi by not supporting media that fund celebrity stalking and harassment through the purchase of those images.

About Hollywood.com
Hollywood.com is a leading entertainment technology company and digital publisher. Established in 1995, Hollywood.com owns and operates its entertainment news website famous around the world for covering popular culture topics that include movies, television, music and celebrities.

Hollywood.com was the first website to display online listings for movie showtimes nationally. Today, Hollywood.com brings everything its readers love about Hollywood directly to them. In late 2020, Hollywood.com announced it would focus on uplifting entertainment news and would be launching a revolutionary movie ticketing app in 2021 as an extension of its iconic brand. To learn more, visit www.hollywood.com.

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SOURCE Hollywood.com