Press Freedom and Privacy Invasion of Reporters: Proper Conduct Performed in the Course of Business as Justification

Abstract

本文討論記者採訪與報導行為若侵害隱私法益時，得否阻卻違法。有別於最高法院近期判決直接引用新聞自由作為阻卻違法的判斷準據，筆者主張應優先適用業務上正當行為，其認定以事前標準決定行為人是否依憑具特別資格或知識之專門性活動的行為準則與倫理規範；由於我國迄今記者新聞活動相關規定尚不完備，除了倫理公約所揭櫫的公共利益理由之外，僅能透過個案性衡量予以判定，但僅限於重大公共利益的理由才能發動侵害隱私的記者取材行為，而發動前必須滿足客觀證據效果的相當理由要求；至於記者刊登侵害他人隱私的新聞素材，也必須以保護重大公益為前提。

This article aims to discuss whether a reporter who gathers information by invading other’s privacy and makes reports upon it could be justified. Taiwan’s Supreme Court found such conduct justified on account of reporter’s press freedom. Rather than this opinion, the author argues that, according to Article 22 of Taiwan’s Criminal Code, the justification ground employed preferentially should be ＂Proper Conduct Performed in the Course of Business＂. Therefore, in prior to conducting invasion of privacy for the sack of gathering news material, a reporter should collect some objective evidence inferring that the investigated event ought to be related to public interest. Such standard can also be applied to decide if reporter’s usage of materials gathered through privacy invasion could be lawful.