Concent laws for tv and News?

Question

My friends and I were eating in a diner near our job and Channel 2 CBS news came in out of no where. While we were just finishing up eating and getting ready to pack up the other half of our lunches our waiter walked over and said "Fix your hair girls your on TV" So we kind of panic... We get our bill, pack up our food and as we are on our way out we learn they were filming the 3 of us for a news clip on Obesity In Nassau County.

Now we never consented to our faces to be on television PLUS the 3 of us are as follows,

one is 5'5 - 110 lbs
and 2 of us are 5'1 - 120 lbs

Now how were we the models of Obesity and eating too much when we each only ate 1/2 our plate and packed the rest AND we are all tiny????

They aired it on May 3rd on the 6pn news and they zoomed in on us for a moment.

Also I used to be an anerexic and have fought back to normal. This is honestly taking a toll on my body immage.

What can I do?

Durring the time when we were being focussed on they were talkign about how People in Nassau eat too much and Diners don't have calories listed on the menus.

Answer 1

basic communications law states quite simply that your name or image can't be used in any way to make money without your expressed consent.

since the news media is a for profit organization, and you sound like an ordinary citizen, they don't have the right to just film you without first asking for consent.

the exceptions would be if you are a public figure or if you are in what could be considered a newsworthy event such as a baseball game.

if you were actually used on tv and your faces were recognizable or any other part of you for that matter, then you have a very strong basis for a case.

Answer 2

Even if they zoomed in on you, you didn't say what the verbage that went with it. Perhaps they were using you as a good example.

If you feel that badly about it then you should complain to the manager of the station and tell him/her that you've been put under undue emotional distress and want redress.

Heck, with everyone and his brother having camera phones who knows how many times you've been photographed or even put on the web.