Sneak-shooting

Regarding the unfortunate Sleepyduck-gate of last weekend, I decided to post a metapicture that alludes to similar type of activity/phenomenon in my home town.

I don't know if I want to start a lengthy conversation here, just thought I'd comment on something that happened my way today...

So, this is a picture of a picture (with some processing by me).
It appeared yesterday in one of our free city newspapers. One corner of its page is called 'the sneak-shooter', and it has a weekly street picture.

The editorial office of this paper is located in the main street, and one of the staff shoots the week's unsuspecting passer-by from the office window, and the person gets their face in the paper.

They have a defense for their sneakiness: the idea is that if the person recognises themselves from the picture, they get a prize! They can then collect it at the office. I'd guess the prize would be a t-shirt, coffee packet, cap or some such small thing. It is not mentioned.

But is it okay to photograph people randomly and then publish their picture in print? What's the point?

Now, most of Sleepyduck's street shots I didn't consider offensive or questionable, but this type of public journalistic entertainment I find trivial. After all shouldn't there be something newsworthy about the stuff they put on the paper?

Well, now this poor man is published a second time - and on the internet. Apologies stranger!