Is the right to privacy more important than freedom of the press and how do journalists do their job while respecting people's privacy?

Answer 1

First, in America, there is no real Constitutional right to privacy so, at the Constitutional level, free speech and the first amendment tend to trump privacy and even in pracitical applications of law, this is still mostly true. As to which is more important, I'd say both are. Ideally, the press forms checks and balances on government by making policy and actions known to the people. On the other hand, total lack of privacy tends to swiftly evolve into totalinarianism, or at least that potential exists. I'd say both are not only crucial to a democracy, but are necessary for almost all other stable forms of government. Journalists are not required by their job to respect privacy per se. They are not allowed to write intentional and harmful falsehoods. They are expected to not disclose Individually Identifying Information that would include credit card numbers, addresses, phone numbers, etc. Other than a few restrictions like these, however, the spirit of journalism is disclosure, and privacy is something a good journalist will tend to overturn.