Concerned about access to newsmakers being infringed upon, the Board of Directors of the Greater Los Angeles Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists has voted to oppose Councilman Dennis Zine’s proposal for regulating the activity of paparazzi photographers.

The measure includes creation of a “personal safety zone” of several feet of clear space between paparazzi and the persons they are photographing.

“We appreciate and share Councilman Zine’s concern for the excesses of the paparazzi,” said SPJ’s Los Angeles Chapter president David Dow, “but enforcing a ‘personal safety zone’ could engender other abuses involving legitimate access to newsmakers.

“Moreover, we believe there are adequate laws on the books right now, which if properly enforced, could contain reckless activity by paparazzi or any member of the media. We fully support enforcement of those laws. Any excesses have a tendency to tarnish law-abiding members of the mainstream press.”

With about 10,000 members, the Society of Professional Journalists is the nation’s largest and most broad-based journalism organization, dedicated to promoting high standards of ethical behavior and encouraging the free practice of journalism. Founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi, SPJ works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists and protect First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press.