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Video: J.K. Rowling testifies in Leveson inquiry against invasion of press
Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling was one of many celebrities to testify in the Leveson inquiry, where U.K. reporters have been going above and beyond to invade the privacy of notable names, including actors Hugh Grant, Sienna Miller, and even Daniel Radcliffe's parents. Rowling commented on the fact that reporters stalked her soon after her children were born, and even went so far as to invade one of their schools to send a letter explicitly to Jo. More on that is below.
Ms Rowling told the inquiry - which is being held at the Royal Courts of Justice - that children deserved privacy and that she had always tried to protect her private family life from the press, by taking measures which included wrapping them in blankets to hide them from paparazzi.
"They (children) have no choice over who their parents are or how their parents behave.
"A child, no matter who their parents are, deserves privacy. Where children are concerned the issue is fairly black and white."
She recalled: "I unzipped her schoolbag in the evening, and among the usual letters from school and the debris that every child generates, I found an envelope and a letter addressed to me from a journalist.
"The letter said that he intended to ask a mother at the school to put this in my daughter's bag.
"I can only say that I felt such a sense of invasion. It is very difficult to say how angry I felt that my five-year-old daughter's school was no longer a place of complete security from journalists."
"I feel that given fact that an image has a life that cannot be recalled... I'm sure it is still out there, that's the particular harm of an image."
"I rather absurdly gave chase. How I thought I was going to outrun a 20-something paparazzo while pushing a buggy. The cumulative effect, it becomes quite draining."
"There were two particularly bad periods when it really was like being under siege or like a hostage," Ms Rowling said.
"After the birth of each of my subsequent children, for a week it was impossible for me to leave the house without being photographed."
She added: "It is difficult to explain to people who haven't experienced it what that feels like.
"The twist in the stomach as you wonder what do they want, what do they think they have? It is incredibly threatening to have people watching you."
The Harry Potter writer said she had felt like she was being "blackmailed" by the Sun after taking out an injunction to stop the newspaper publishing leaked copies of the fifth Harry Potter manuscript.
"What they wanted was a photograph of me gratefully receiving back the stolen manuscript," Rowling explained.
She said a journalist from the Scottish Sun had on one occasion contacted the headmaster of her daughter's school.
"The claim by the journalist was that my eldest daughter had distressed fellow pupils by revealing that Harry Potter died in the final Harry Potter, and the headmaster had received complaints from other pupils and their parents," said Ms Rowling.
"My daughter was being accused of some kind of bullying."
She added: "There was not one word of truth in it."
Dude. The Pensevies aint got nothing on you. Aslan is the God
Although its terrible, in many ways JK has had it so much easier than some of the other victims in this case. Either way, its seriously exposed our news industry.
Its such an interesting case as well.
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Tonight we are young. So lets set the world on fire---------------- ----------------------------Belle-Marie. Hufflepuff. Fifth Year.
Some people need privacy, don't the paparazzi Understand this?
Or are the rumors true that they are sad so and so's who have nothing better to do with their lives?
They are pathetic and need to stop reporting on people who don't need reporting on, especially with other peoples buisness including JK's..
awww jo! i wish the damn paparazzi could leave her alone and let her live like a normal mother with children. It is not right that her daughter was getting a letter from school. School should be a safe haven for kids. I would be angry too Jo! i hope u can fight through this!
Hogwarts RPG Name: Elizabeth Rose Drangonheart-Malfoy
Sixth Year
Thats sad...Is already bad enough that people are doing that kinda stuff to Jo but its even worse when the do it to her children. Just leave Jo and her family alone. Seriously people.
Dude. The Pensevies aint got nothing on you. Aslan is the God
Though, this is only a snippet of the questioning, because she gave evidence for over an hour, it is worth knowing that JK did indeed later say that the majority of the british "paparazi" was working to decent and morally correct code. It is unfair on the industry to say that all of the papers were hacking phones, emails and following people unrelentingly like that, most of them do follow the right rules.
Just saying...
__________________
Tonight we are young. So lets set the world on fire---------------- ----------------------------Belle-Marie. Hufflepuff. Fifth Year.
Sad that people treat others this way. I mean how would they feel if the roles were rreversed and they were in Jo's shoes? Get a life people that are human beings just like everybody else!
Ravenpuff | Cap'n Crunch | Bedtime Queen | O Minion, My Minion
These photographers are trying to make a living for themselves, just like Jo, and just like every one of us. They get desperate and go to extreme measures sometimes, and I'm sure a large part of that pressure comes from the high-up executives. These people are told to get the pictures, no matter what the cost. Don't get me wrong: I am not excusing their behavior. I just want to make sure people don't over-react, that they think about this case from every angle.
This is also in response to the magazine under Rupert Murdoch that infringed upon these celebrities. Hugh Grant got mad and exposed the whole thing along with someone else. It is really getting a lot more exposure. More celebrities are coming forward with these tactics the reporters and paparazzi used to acquire their information on their subjects. Sienna Miller also came forward and testified.
I have always thought reporters and paparazzi are invading some civil rights ordinance. They should not be able to get within 100 feet of celebrities. You can't stop the picture taking but at least they won't be able to touch you or pull your clothes or scratch your car.
Video: J.K. Rowling testifies in Leveson inquiry against invasion of press 
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I would hate to have people invading my privacy like that...
