Wisconsin

By statute, Wisconsin recognizes causes of action for intrusion, private facts, and misappropriation but rejects false light. § 895.50 Wis. Stats.

Intrusion: A woman had no privacy claim against a television station that allegedly broke a promise by filming her as she rolled a marijuana cigarette. Because the woman had publicly admitted to using marijuana, the footage of her rolling the cigarette did not further damage her reputation. Abertson v. TAK Comunications Inc., 447 N.W.2d 539, 16 Med. L. Rptr. 2271 (Wis. Ct. App. 1989).

A television cameraman who entered a private home with the police and videotaped a search and arrest committed a trespass. Stevens v. Television Wisconsin Inc., No. 85-CV3227 (Wis. Cir. Ct. 1987).

A photographer who entered a private home without permission and filmed an arrest in the home committed a trespass even though a police official invited the media along. Heiser v. Waller, No. 85-C-1454 (E.D. Wis. 1988).

Private facts: A teenager appeared on a talk show and attacked her stepmothers character, and the stepmother, who also appeared on the show, responded by reading to the studio audience a police report that described the teenager as having been "engaged in violent, abusive, indecent, profane, boisterous, unreasonably loud behavior," having "threatened to hit others," and having referred to herself as "the biggest gangster _____ in town." The broadcast of the reading of the police report was not a publication of private facts because the stepmother had a right to reply publicly to the teenagers public accusations, despite the existence of laws protecting juvenile police records from disclosure. In addition, the court found that the broadcaster was allowed to assert the stepmothers privilege regarding her right to reply to the accusations made against her. Howell v. Tribune Entertainment Co., 106 F.3d 215 (7th Cir. 1997).

Identification of a persons religious affiliation by itself is not an invasion of privacy. Briggs & Stratton Corp. v. National Catholic Reporter Publishing Co., 978 F. Supp 1195 (E.D. Wis. 1997).