Asked & Answered: I have a person’s life rights. Do I need to option the news article about him, too?

Pablo asks:
I have a friend who is a war vet that has an amazing personal story. I interviewed him via email two years ago as I saw the potential in it for making a feature film. Recently, an international news network showcased the highlights of his story on TV.

So my question is as follows: If I tell his story in a screenplay with the properly written legal permission from my friend who is the protagonist of the story, do I need to worry about the network claiming rights on the script because they told the story before me as a news story?

Here's my answer:

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