In early December 2015 there was a mass murder in San Bernardino, California. In the days that followed, journalists went to the area looking for stories that could provide insight into the background and history of the killers.
It didn't take long for the police and federal investigators to find out where the killers lived. Two days after the tragedy they had already finished examining their apartment. Once they were done with it, the landlord allowed journalists to enter and photograph the apartment.
The behavior of the reports and photographers at the San Bernardino apartment was a vulgar mob scene - NPR called it a "frenzy," a "circus," and a "farce," but they still ran photos. Media correspondents filmed everything from clothes and underwear in closets to photos of family and friends hanging on the walls.
As soon as the media started broadcasting footage of the apartment, my inbox started blowing up with questions from concerned renters. If you were accused of a crime or otherwise the focus of media interest would your landlord have the right to allow nosy journalists to enter your apartment without your permission? Continue reading Could Your Apartment Be the Location of the Next Media Circus?
