National Enquirer

Last updated

National Enquirer
National Enquirer logo 2014.svg
National Enquirer (cover).jpg
Editor in Chief Dylan Howard [1]
Categories Tabloid
FrequencyWeekly
Total circulation
(2018)
265,000 [2]
First issue1926
Company American Media, Inc.
CountryUnited States
Based in New York City
LanguageEnglish
Website www.nationalenquirer.com
ISSN 1056-3482

The National Enquirer is an American tabloid newspaper. Founded in 1926, [3] the newspaper has undergone a number of changes over the years. The National Enquirer openly acknowledges that it pays sources for tips (checkbook journalism), a common practice in tabloid journalism that results in conflicts of interest. [4] It has also been embroiled in several controversies related to its catch and kill practices and allegations of blackmail. It has struggled with declining circulation figures because of competition from other glossy tabloid publications.

Contents

In May 2014, American Media announced a decision to shift the headquarters of the National Enquirer from Florida, where it had been located since 1971, back to New York City, where it originally began as The New York Enquirer in 1926. [5] On April 10, 2019, Chatham Asset Management, which had acquired control of 80 percent of AMI's stock, forced AMI to sell the National Enquirer. [6] [7] This came after Chatham owner Anthony Melchiorre, whom AMI has also relied on for survival, expressed dismay over the tabloid magazine's recent scandals regarding hush money assistance to U.S. president Donald Trump's 2016 campaign and blackmail of Jeff Bezos. [6] [7] On April 18, 2019, AMI agreed to sell the National Enquirer to Hudson Group. [8] [9] Pending bankruptcy, Chatham would again become the majority shareholder of the paper. [10] [ dubious discuss ]

History

1926–1990s

In 1926, William Griffin, a protégé of William Randolph Hearst, founded the paper as The New York Evening Enquirer, a Sunday afternoon broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout New York City, using money lent to Griffin by Hearst. It made its debut on September 19, 1926. [11] As partial payment of his loan, Hearst asked Griffin to use the Enquirer as a proving ground for new ideas. Hearst took the ideas that worked in his successful publications; the less successful ideas stayed with the Enquirer, and as a result the Enquirer's sales never soared. During the 1930s and 1940s, it became a voice for isolationism and pro-fascist propaganda. The paper was indicted along with Griffin under the Smith Act for sedition by a grand jury in 1942 for subverting the morale of US troops through Griffin's editorials against US military involvement in World War II. The charges were later dropped. [12] [13]

By 1952, when the paper's circulation had fallen to 17,000 copies a week, it was purchased by Generoso Pope Jr., the son of Generoso Pope, the founder of Il Progresso , New York's Italian language daily newspaper. [13] Pope's son Paul alleged that Luciano crime family boss Frank Costello provided Pope the money for the purchase in exchange for the Enquirer's promise to list lottery numbers and to refrain from any mention of Mafia activities. [14]

In 1953, Pope revamped the format from a broadsheet to a sensationalist tabloid. The paper's editorial content became so salacious that New York Mayor Robert F. Wagner Jr. forced Griffin to resign from the city's Board of Higher Education in 1954. [13] In 1957, Pope changed the name of the newspaper to The National Enquirer and changed its scope to national stories of sex and scandal. [13] Pope worked tirelessly in the 1950s and 1960s to increase the circulation and broaden the tabloid's appeal. In the late 1950s and through most of the 1960s, the publication was known for its gory and unsettling headlines and stories such as: "I Cut Out Her Heart and Stomped on It" (September 8, 1963) and "Mom Boiled Her Baby and Ate Her" (1962). At this time the paper was sold on newsstands and in drugstores only. Pope stated he got the idea for the format and these gory stories from seeing people congregate around auto accidents. By 1966, circulation had risen to one million. [13]

Pope pioneered the practice of selling magazines at supermarket checkouts. To gain access to the supermarkets, Pope completely changed the format of the paper in late 1967 by dropping all the gore and violence to focus on more benign topics like celebrities, the occult and UFOs. In 1971, Pope moved the headquarters from New York to Lantana, Florida. In 1974, The National Enquirer began running Bill Hoest's Bumper Snickers, a cartoon series about cars and drivers, collected by Signet into a paperback reprint two years later. The death of Elvis Presley was the first show business news story that provided the Enquirer with ongoing opportunities to investigate offshoots of the breaking story. Items that followed up on Presley's death included a color photograph of his body in an open coffin, a description of nine-year-old Lisa Presley's shock and grief over the loss of her father and reports of his pharmaceutical drug abuse, autopsy results and malpractice claims against the doctor who had supplied him with the drugs. These reports appeared in nearly every issue of the Enquirer for more than two years. [13]

During most of the 1970s and 1980s, The National Enquirer sponsored the placement of the largest decorated Christmas tree in the world at its Lantana, Florida headquarters in what became an annual tradition. A tree was shipped in mid-autumn from the Pacific Northwest by rail and off-loaded by crane onto the adjacent base of The National Enquirer property. Every night during the Christmas season, thousands of visitors would come to see the tree. This would grow into one of South Florida's most celebrated and spectacular events. Although tremendously expensive, this was Pope's "Pet Project" and his "Christmas present" to the local community. The tradition ended when he died in 1988. [15] By this time, The National Enquirer's parent company American Media had acquired publications and companies including Weekly World News , and Distribution Services, Inc. The surviving owners, including Pope's widow, Lois, sold the company to a partnership of Macfadden Publishing and Boston Ventures for $412 million. Soon after, the company bought the publication's main competition, Star magazine, from Rupert Murdoch. The combined interests were controlled by a newly formed company, American Media Inc (AMI). In 1999, the paper relocated south again, but this time only 15 miles to Boca Raton, Florida.

2000s

Anthrax attack

In 2001 in Boca Raton, Florida, Bob Stevens—a photo editor at Sun, a sister publication under the National Enquirer's parent company, AMI—was exposed to a letter with anthrax spores and was the first person to die as a result of the 2001 anthrax attacks. The entire AMI office complex in Boca Raton was closed, and remained fenced off for two years after the attack; AMI moved its headquarters to another building in Boca Raton. [16] [17]

John Edwards story

After the National Enquirer, led by editor-in-chief David Perel, investigated John Edwards for 18 months it proved that he was having an affair with Rielle Hunter. The Enquirer followed with exclusive after exclusive, including a photo of Hunter pregnant. In August 2008, in an interview with ABC News, former presidential candidate John Edwards finally admitted to having an extramarital affair with Rielle Hunter but denied fathering her child. [18] Edwards had earlier made false denials of the affair which was first reported by the National Enquirer. [19] In October 2007, the publication ran a story about the 2006 affair with Hunter, a filmmaker hired by the Edwards political team, although Edwards dismissed the story as "completely untrue, ridiculous" and "false." [20] In July 2008, the publication ran an article claiming to have caught the former North Carolina Senator visiting Hunter, and their alleged illegitimate child at a hotel in Los Angeles. [21] Fox News interviewed an unnamed security guard who claimed to have witnessed a confrontation between Edwards and the tabloid's members of staff. [22] Edwards later finally admitted that he was the father of Hunter's child, after the Enquirer ran a photo of Edwards with the baby.

In 2010, there was some speculation that the Enquirer might receive a Pulitzer Prize for its investigation of Edwards. [23] Donald Trump said that the paper should be "respected" for its investigation, and questioned why it was not given the award. [24] The San Francisco Examiner wrote, "It galls most mainstream newspaper editors that a tawdry tabloid could be considered for their most vaunted prize. It's like nominating a porn flick for an Oscar." [25]

Sarah Palin story

The National Enquirer claimed to have an exclusive account of the pregnancy of Bristol Palin, the daughter of Sarah Palin, then governor of Alaska and Republican candidate for vice president in the 2008 election: [26]

The Republican governor's announcement about her daughter's pregnancy came hours after The Enquirer informed her representatives and family members of Levi Johnston, the father of Bristol's child, that we were aware of the pregnancy and were going to break the news. In a preemptive strike Palin released the news, creating political shockwaves. [26]

The title published an allegation that Palin had an affair with her husband's business partner, Brad Hanson. [27] Answering John McCain's threat of a lawsuit, a spokesman for the National Enquirer, in a statement to The Huffington Post , declared:

The National Enquirer's coverage of a vicious war within Sarah Palin's extended family includes several newsworthy revelations, including the resulting incredible charge of an affair plus details of family strife when the Governor's daughter revealed her pregnancy. Following our John Edwards exclusives, our political reporting has obviously proven to be more detail-oriented than the McCain campaign's vetting process. Despite the McCain camp's attempts to control press coverage they find unfavorable, the Enquirer will continue to pursue news on both sides of the political spectrum. [28]

Murder of Ennis Cosby

The Enquirer offered a $100,000 reward for the arrest and conviction of the person who murdered Ennis Cosby, son of Bill Cosby. The paper received a credible tip, which it passed along to LAPD, which converted the tip into an arrest and conviction. David Perel's coverage of the O.J. Simpson case was referred to by The New York Times as the "bible of the case." Perel was editor in chief when the paper's investigative unit, formed under him, discovered and published that Jesse Jackson had fathered a love child during his marriage. In the Cosby case, the LA police, at a press conference, credited the Enquirer with solving the case, saying: "We have just arrested a suspect for the murder of Ennis Cosby going on information we are very confident about and this is in great part due to help from The National Enquirer." David Perel was again the Enquirer editor responsible for offering reward money that led to police solving the murder. [29]

2010s

Ted Cruz and Donald Trump

The National Enquirer enthusiastically endorsed Donald Trump for the 2016 presidential election and published numerous stories promoting his candidacy and denigrating his opponents. [30] During the Republican presidential primaries in March 2016, the title ran a story alleging that "political operatives" were investigating whether candidate Ted Cruz, a U.S. senator from Texas, engaged in extramarital affairs. [31] [32] Cruz denied it and said that Trump had used his connections to persuade the Enquirer to publish the story. [32] Trump denied involvement. [33]

The National Enquirer ran another story in April 2016, suggesting that Cruz's father, Rafael Cruz, knew JFK assassin Lee Harvey Oswald and worked with Oswald in New Orleans a few months before the assassination. [34] [35] Trump publicly discussed this story on May 3, 2016 saying to Brian Kilmeade of Fox News that "His father was with Lee Harvey Oswald prior to Oswald's being — you know, shot. I mean the whole thing is ridiculous". [36] [37] On May 4, 2016 (a few hours after Cruz lost the Indiana primary and withdrew his candidacy) Trump stated that he did not actually believe the story ("Of course I don't believe that") but the Enquirer wanted to "let the people read it." [36] Kilmeade has since expressed regret for not following up on Trump's May 3 comment during that interview. [38] On July 22, 2016, Trump again mentioned the magazine in connection with Cruz's father, saying "I know nothing about his father. I know nothing about Lee Harvey Oswald. But there was a picture on the front page of the National Enquirer that does have credibility." [39] [40]

Donald Trump sexual misconduct allegations

The National Enquirer received, and refused to publish a story from Karen McDougal about an alleged affair she had with Trump in 2006 and, in 2016 as his presidential campaign advanced, paid McDougal $150,000 for, among other items, "exclusive life rights to any relationship she has had with a then-married man." The Wall Street Journal said that the tabloid had paid McDougal hush money and was using the purchase and refusal to publish the story to protect Trump (a technique known as catch and kill), an allegation the publication denied. [41] In February 2018, after a similar situation involving Stormy Daniels (not involving the National Enquirer) was confirmed, McDougal confirmed her story to Ronan Farrow for The New Yorker , stating that the National Enquirer had loosened the terms of the contract after Trump was elected but that she was unsure of how much she could discuss under the terms of the agreement. [42] The publication had also paid $30,000 to an employee at one of Trump's hotels who claimed that Trump fathered a child out of wedlock during the 1980s; the payment came in November 2015, before the paper publicly endorsed Trump, and according to reports in The New Yorker, the title's staff was investigating the story and preparing to publish the employee's claims before National Enquirer owner David Pecker personally quashed it. [43]

In late 2015, the parent company of the National Enquirer, American Media, Inc., paid $30,000 to Dino Sajudin, a doorman at Trump Tower, to obtain the rights to his story in which he alleged Donald Trump had an affair in the 1980s that resulted in the birth of a child. Sajudin in April 2018 identified the woman as Trump's former housekeeper. [44] AMI reporters were given the names of the woman and the alleged child, while Sajudin passed a lie detector test when testifying that he had heard the story from others. Shortly after the payment was made, Pecker ordered the reporters to drop the story. [45] In April 2018, AMI chief content officer Dylan Howard denied the story was "spiked" in a so-called "catch and kill" operation, insisting that AMI did not run the story because Sajudin's story lacked credibility. [46] CNN obtained a copy of the contract between AMI and Sajudin on August 24, 2018, after AMI had released Sajudin from the contract. CNN published excerpts of the contract, which instructed Sajudin to provide "information regarding Donald Trump's illegitimate child", but did not contain further specifics of Sajudin's story. [47]

Brzezinski, Scarborough, and the Trump administration

In June 2017, Morning Joe hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough stated that senior officials in the Trump administration had tried to blackmail the two of them using the National Enquirer. According to them, the tabloid threatened to publish a smear article on the couple unless the two personally called Trump and begged him to have the story spiked. They refused, and the title (which did not have direct contact with Scarborough or Brzezinski) published the story. The Trump administration also denied the story; Scarborough claims he has saved phone correspondence to the contrary. [48]

Jeff Bezos

In February 2019, Jeff Bezos alleged that the National Enquirer had threatened to publish private messages and photographs belonging to Bezos and his girlfriend, Lauren Sánchez, if Bezos did not stop The Washington Post , which he owns, from pursuing journalistic inquiries into how the publication obtained those messages and photographs. [49] [50] [51] Bezos also said that in 2018, the year in which Saudi Arabian officials reportedly murdered Washington Post reporter Jamal Khashoggi, the National Enquirer had published a glossy magazine, The New Kingdom, promoting Saudi Arabia. [52]

Notable stories and lawsuits

In 1981, actress Carol Burnett won a judgment against the National Enquirer after it claimed she had been seen drunk in public at a restaurant with Henry Kissinger in attendance. The fact that both of her parents suffered from alcoholism made this a particularly sensitive issue to Burnett. The former longtime chief editor Iain Calder in his book The Untold Story, asserted that afterwards, while under his leadership, the publication worked hard to check the reliability of its facts and its sources. [53] The National Enquirer additionally scooped other media outlets during the O. J. Simpson murder trial: when a distinctive footprint from a Bruno Magli shoe was found at the crime scene, Simpson vehemently denied owning such a shoe. The title, however, published two photos showing Simpson wearing Bruno Magli shoes. [54] David Perel was the editor in charge of the paper's Simpson coverage, which was highly lauded by mainstream media. [55] [56] [57]

Controversy over false content arose again for the National Enquirer when a 2002 article alleged that male members of the family of kidnapping victim Elizabeth Smart were involved in what the article termed a "gay sex ring." Subsequently, two reporters from the Salt Lake Tribune were fired after it was learned that they had been paid $20,000 for the story, which they had fabricated. [58] The title threatened to sue the Salt Lake Tribune for making false and defamatory statements about the publication after an editorial had disclaimed the Tribune's involvement. The salacious details of the Smart story were retracted by the publication, and a rare apology was issued to the Smart family. One of the fired reporters acknowledged that his behavior was unethical, but expressed surprise that the story had been taken seriously, stating, "When I dealt with the National Enquirer, I never dreamed that I was accepting money for 'information'." [59]

The National Enquirer settled a libel lawsuit with the wife of Gary Condit out of court in 2003, [60] and lost a suit brought by actress Kate Hudson in 2006. [61] Also in 2006, the National Enquirer was the first newspaper to reveal that O. J. Simpson had written a book, If I Did It . The story was immediately denied by Simpson's lawyer, but was confirmed by release of the book one month later. [62] In early March 2007, the paper blocked access to its website for British and Irish readers because a story about the actress Cameron Diaz that they had published in 2005 and for which she received an apology had appeared on the site. The apology concerned a story it had run in 2005 entitled "Cameron Caught Cheating" which turned out to be false – an accompanying picture was just an innocent goodbye hug to a friend, not evidence of an affair. Although only 279 British web addresses had looked at the story, it was deemed to have therefore been published in the United Kingdom. British libel laws are more plaintiff-friendly and it is not necessary to prove actual malice for the plaintiff to win. [63]

Also in March 2007, Tucker Chapman, son of Duane "Dog" Chapman, sold a tape to the National Enquirer of his father disparaging his black girlfriend with the use of the word "nigger", for which the tabloid paid Tucker an undisclosed amount. The A&E Network canceled Chapman's show, Dog the Bounty Hunter , pending an investigation. On February 21, 2008, A&E Network stated they would resume production of Dog the Bounty Hunter, and on May 14, 2008, announced it would return to TV on June 25, 2008. On January 19, 2010, the Pulitzer Prize Board announced that the National Enquirer is eligible for consideration for the Pulitzer Prize in the categories of Investigative Journalism and National News Reporting. This change is primarily due to the Enquirer's breaking the story of John Edwards' affair with Rielle Hunter. [64] In February 2012, the National Enquirer published a photo of Whitney Houston in an open casket on its front page. [65] The previous week, it had posted an article showing her having collapsed from a cocaine and alcohol binge during her world tour and claiming that she only had five years to live. [66] [67]

Editorial changes

In 1999 AMI was bought by a group fronted by publishing executive David J. Pecker. Funding was diverted from the National Enquirer, once considered to be the company's principal publication, to Star magazine. Editor Steve Coz, who guided the paper through the Simpson case, was fired and replaced by David Perel, who had been the Editor in charge of breaking numerous stories on the Simpson coverage.[ citation needed ]

The National Enquirer's circulation for a time fell below 1 million (from over 6 million at its height). AMI brought in around 20 British journalists in early 2005, headed by editor Paul Field, a former executive at the British tabloid The Sun , and relocated the editorial offices to New York for an April 2005 relaunch. The move failed badly and Field and virtually all the British journalists were sacked after a year. The company reappointed David Perel and announced the National Enquirer offices would return to Boca Raton, Florida, in May 2006. Circulation numbers then climbed to over 1 million readers again, and according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations reached over 1 million. Perel later moved on to oversee the relaunch of the gossip website Radar Online, and was replaced as editor-in-chief by Tony Frost. In 2014, the publication moved back to New York and Frost was replaced by Dylan Howard.[ citation needed ] Howard and the National Enquirer parted ways when his contract, which expired March 31, 2020, was not renewed. [68]

On April 10, 2019, the National Enquirer was said to be up for sale and likely to be sold within days. [69] Chatham Asset Management owner Anthony Melchiorre, whose company acquired control of 80 percent of AMI's stock, expressed disapproval of the Enquirer's style of journalism. [6] [7] This confirmed on April 18, 2019, when it was announced that AMI had agreed sell the National Enquirer, and also two other AMI tabloid publications Globe and National Examiner, to Hudson Group. [8]

Checkbook journalism controversy

On April 22, 2024, former American Media Inc. head David Pecker acknowledged in court that the National Enquirer engaged in the practice of checkbook journalism which involved paying sources for stories, and that he "told the editors that they could not spend more than $10,000" and he had final say over celebrity stories. [70] [71] He also acknowledged that "checkbook journalism" served as part of the editorial philosophy he followed when he ran American Media Inc. [71] [70] Pecker also stated that he believed that "the only thing that is important is the cover of a magazine." [71]

Support of Donald Trump

According to reporting in The Washington Post , executives at the National Enquirer sent articles and cover images pertaining to Donald Trump or his electoral opponents to Michael Cohen, Trump's lawyer, prior to their publication. [72] The Post reported that this practice continued since Trump became president of the United States. [72] American Media Inc. denied sharing material prior to publication. [72] Federal prosecutors have subpoenaed American Media Inc. as part of their investigations into Michael Cohen for possible violation of campaign finance laws. [72] [73] According to reporting by the Associated Press, during the 2016 United States presidential election, stories that supported Trump or attacked his rivals bypassed the newspaper's standard fact checking process. [74] Trump reportedly suggested stories to David Pecker—sometimes via Hope Hicks and sometimes personally—including a negative story about Republican primary opponent Ben Carson. [72]

While testifying during Trump's New York criminal trial in April 2024, Pecker would provide detail on how he offered to deploy the “catch and kill” scheme to support Trump's presidential campaign, stating that he offered in 2015 to suppress negative stories about Trump and also flag any efforts which were made by women attempting to sell stories about Trump as well. [75] Specifically, Pecker noted how he and staff at the National Enquirer targeted former Trump Tower employee Dino Sajudin, who was trying to sell a story that Trump fathered an illegitimate girl, and sought the name of the maid who Sajudin alleged Trump had the affair with, with a National Enquirer editor agreeing to pay $30,000 for the story. [76] The second "catch-and-kill" target would be Karen McDougal, with Pecker stating that National Enquirer editor Dylan Howard got word of her allegation in June 2016, and noted how afterwards, he, Howard, and Cohen conspired to get her to accept a payment of $150,000 in exchange for her story. [76]

Defamatory publications

The National Enquirer issued a formal apology in the September 2017 edition of their magazine for false statements, defaming Judy Sheindlin of the courtroom series Judge Judy as having cheated on her husband and suffering from Alzheimer's disease along with brain damage. In addition, they apologized to her daughter Nicole Sheindlin for defaming her as having a jail record. [77]

"Catch and kill"

On April 22, 2024, David Pecker testified in court: "We used checkbook journalism, and we paid for stories". He said that the editors under him had discretion to spend about $10,000 on a story and that any budget above that would be subject to his personal approval. [78] When Karen McDougal claimed to have had an affair with President Trump, the newspaper coordinated with the Trump campaign to pay McDougal $150,000 to benefit the campaign, effectively turning the payment into a campaign contribution. The National Enquirer publicly admitted to "catch and kill" in this instance. The Federal Election Commission fined the newspaper $187,000. [79] Stormy Daniels has also claimed the title was involved in the "catch and kill" of her affair with Trump as well. The prosecution of Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen has also involved the purported use of "catch and kill" practices by the title. [80] [81]

Television spin-off

On August 30, 1999, a television spin-off of the supermarket tabloid was entitled National Enquirer TV and was produced by MGM Television. The series was renamed National Enquirer's Uncovered in season 2 and was cancelled on July 6, 2001.

"Enquiring minds want to know" catchphrase

During the 1980s, the tabloid's slogan in radio and TV ads was "Enquiring minds want to know." [82] The phrase is also used by Willow Rosenberg in the US TV drama series Buffy the Vampire Slayer . [83] In the song "Midnight Star" from his album "Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D , "Weird Al" Yankovic uses the phrase during the song's outro. [84] In 1987, the publisher of the National Enquirer trademarked the phrase, which uses the alternative (and more commonly British) spelling of "inquiring". [85]

Documentaries

The origin and history of the newspaper and Generoso Pope Jr.'s life are the main subjects of a 2014 documentary, directed by Ric Burns and called Enquiring Minds: The Untold Story of the Man Behind the National Enquirer. [86] A 2019 documentary directed by Mark Landsman, Scandalous: The True Story of the National Enquirer, describes the paper's coverage of topics such as the O. J. Simpson murder investigation, the role of paparazzi in the death of Princess Diana, and the Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign. [87]

Related Research Articles

A360 Media, LLC, formerly American Media, Inc. (AMI), is an American publisher of magazines, supermarket tabloids, and books based in New York City. Originally affiliated with only the National Enquirer, the media company's holdings expanded considerably in the 1990s and 2000s. In November 2010, American Media filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection due to debts of nearly $1 billion, but has continued to buy and sell magazine brands since then.

<i>The Washington Post</i> American daily newspaper

The Washington Post, locally known as ThePost and, informally, WaPo or WP, is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington metropolitan area and has a national audience. As of 2023, the Post has 135,980 print subscribers and 2.5 million digital subscribers, both of which are the third-largest among U.S. newspapers after The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Bezos</span> American businessman (born 1964)

Jeffrey Preston Bezos is an American business magnate best known as the founder, executive chairman, and former president and CEO of Amazon, the world's largest e-commerce and cloud computing company. He is the second wealthiest person in the world, with a net worth of US$230 billion as of November 13, 2024, according to Forbes and Bloomberg Billionaires Index. He was the wealthiest person from 2017 to 2021, according to both the Bloomberg Billionaires Index and Forbes. Due to his wealth and extensive influence over media, industry, and government policy, Bezos has sometimes been described as an oligarch.

<i>Weekly World News</i> American tabloid publication

The Weekly World News is a tabloid formerly published in a newspaper format reporting mostly fictional "news" stories in the United States from 1979 to 2007. The paper was renowned for its outlandish cover stories often based on supernatural or paranormal themes and an approach to news that verged on the satirical. Its characteristic black-and-white covers have become pop-culture images widely used in the arts. It ceased print publication in August 2007. The company has a library of 110,000+ articles and 300+ original characters.

<i>Globe</i> (tabloid) American tabloid newspaper

Globe is a supermarket tabloid based in Boca Raton, Florida. It covers politics, celebrity, human interest, and crime stories, largely employing sensationalist tabloid journalism. It was established in Montreal, Quebec in 1954.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karen McDougal</span> American model and actress (born 1971)

Karen McDougal is an American model and actress. She is known for her appearances in Playboy magazine as Playmate of the Month for December 1997 and Playmate of the Year in 1998, and for her alleged 10-month to year-long affair with Donald Trump before he became president. In 2001, the readers of Playboy voted McDougal the runner-up of "The sexiest Playmate of the 1990s."

<i>Star</i> (magazine) American celebrity tabloid magazine

Star is an American celebrity tabloid magazine founded in 1974. The magazine is owned by American Media Inc. and overseen by AMI's Chief Content Officer, Dylan Howard.

<i>National Examiner</i> Weekly magazines published in the United States

The National Examiner is a supermarket tabloid from America. It was formerly owned by American Media, Inc. (AMI). AMI's chief content officer, Dylan Howard, oversaw the publication.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lauren Sánchez</span> American news anchor (born 1969)

Lauren Wendy Sánchez is an American media personality who gained fame as an entertainment reporter and news anchor. She has been a guest host on The View, co-host on KTTV Fox 11's Good Day LA and anchor on the Fox 11 News at Ten, and anchor and special correspondent on Extra. Sánchez has also been a regular contributor on shows including Larry King Live, The Joy Behar Show and Showbiz Tonight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tabloid journalism</span> Style of largely sensationalist journalism

Tabloid journalism is a popular style of largely sensationalist journalism which takes its name from the tabloid newspaper format: a small-sized newspaper also known as half broadsheet. The size became associated with sensationalism, and tabloid journalism replaced the earlier label of yellow journalism and scandal sheets. Not all newspapers associated with tabloid journalism are tabloid size, and not all tabloid-size newspapers engage in tabloid journalism; in particular, since around the year 2000 many broadsheet newspapers converted to the more compact tabloid format.

Dylan Howard is an entertainment journalist and media executive. He is best known for his work as editor-in-chief of the National Enquirer tabloid between 2014 and 2020, a period in which he oversaw a number of scandals involving powerful figures.

David Jay Pecker is an American publishing executive and businessman, who was the CEO of American Media until August 2020. He was the publisher of Men's Fitness, Muscle and Fitness, Flex, Fit Pregnancy, Shape, and Star. He was also the publisher of National Enquirer, Sun, Weekly World News, and Globe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Edwards extramarital affair</span> American political sex scandal

John Edwards is a former United States Senator from North Carolina and a Democratic Party vice-presidential and presidential candidate. In August 2008, Edwards admitted to an extramarital affair, which was initially reported in December 2007 by the National Enquirer but was given little attention outside the tabloid press and political blogosphere. The Enquirer cited claims from an anonymous source that Edwards had engaged in an affair with Rielle Hunter, a filmmaker hired to work for his 2008 presidential campaign, and that Hunter had given birth to a child from the relationship. ABC News reported that Andrew Young, a member of Edwards' campaign team, stated that Edwards asked him to, "Get a doctor to fake the DNA results ... and to steal a diaper from the baby so he could secretly do a DNA test to find out if this [was] indeed his child."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stormy Daniels–Donald Trump scandal</span> Political scandal and legal dispute

The Stormy Daniels–Donald Trump scandal or the Donald Trump hush-money scandal involves an alleged one-night sexual encounter in 2006 between businessman and later U.S. president Donald Trump and pornographic film actress Stormy Daniels, a conspiracy on the part of Trump to cover up the story in the month prior to the 2016 U.S. presidential election, and Trump's falsification of business records as part of the conspiracy. The story broke in 2018, when The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen paid US$130,000 to Daniels as hush money to buy her silence during the 2016 Trump campaign.

Keith M. Davidson is an attorney in Beverly Hills, California. Davidson has represented clients who sought nondisclosure agreement settlements from notable individuals, including Donald Trump, Charlie Sheen, and Hulk Hogan. He has also managed professional boxers Manny Pacquiao and James Toney.

Catch and kill is a surreptitious technique employed by newspapers and media outlets to prevent an individual from publicly revealing information damaging to a third party. Using a legally enforceable non-disclosure agreement, the publisher purports to buy exclusive rights to "catch" the damaging story from the individual, but then "kills" the story for the benefit of the third party by preventing it from ever being published. The individual with the information frequently does not realize that the tabloid intends to suppress the individual's story instead of publishing it. The practice is technically distinct from using hush money, in which the individual is bribed by the third party to intentionally conceal the damaging information, but identical for all practical intents and purposes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saud al-Qahtani</span> Saudi Arabian consultant and former royal court advisor

Saud bin Abdullah al-Qahtani is a Saudi Arabian consultant and former royal court advisor. Prior to his dismissal in late 2018, he worked as an advisor to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and crown prince Mohammed bin Salman.

<i>Catch and Kill</i> 2019 Ronan Farrow book on media complicity in protecting sexual abusers

Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators is a 2019 book by the American journalist Ronan Farrow. He recounts the challenges he faced chasing the stories of Harvey Weinstein's decades of rape, sexual assault, and sexual abuse of women and the case against him. Farrow argues that Weinstein was able to use Black Cube, a private Israeli intelligence service, to successfully pressure executives at NBC News to kill the story there, leading him to take it to The New Yorker, where it was published and helped spark the international #MeToo movement exposing sexual abuse, mostly of women, in many industries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Bezos phone hacking incident</span> Incident involving Jeff Bezos and Saudi Arabia

In January 2020, the FTI Consulting company claimed that in May 2018 with "medium to high confidence" the phone of Jeff Bezos had been hacked by a file sent from the WhatsApp account of the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman. The Saudi Arabian embassy to the United States has denied the allegations. Billionaire Jeff Bezos, the owner of The Washington Post newspaper and founder of the company Amazon, engaged FTI Consulting in February 2019 after the National Enquirer in January 2019 reported details of Bezos's affair. FTI Consulting did not link the National Enquirer to the hack. In December 2021, the FBI stated they could not find proof to substantiate claims that Saudi Arabia hacked Jeff Bezos phone, and has considered an investigation into those allegations a low priority.

Elizabeth M. Crokin is an American columnist and conspiracy theorist. Since 2017, she has been an outspoken supporter of QAnon conspiracy theories.

References

  1. James Barron (May 7, 2015). "The Enquirer Is Returning to Where It All Started". The New York Times . p. A22. Archived from the original on October 31, 2015. Retrieved April 6, 2016. Now the shocking inside story can be told: One of those headlines really was a verifiable scoop.
  2. "National Enquirer sold to magazine boss". bbc.com. April 19, 2019. Archived from the original on April 19, 2019. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
  3. Los Angeles Magazine, September 1, 2004
  4. Farhi, Paul (Summer 2010). "Going respectable? The National Enquirer got high marks for its powerful, solidly reported exposes of the bad behavior of John Edwards and Tiger Woods. But much of the supermarket tabloid's day in and day out coverage falls far short of basic reporting and editing standards" . American Journalism Review . 32 (2). University of Maryland, College Park: Philip Merrill College of Journalism. Archived from the original on June 6, 2024. Retrieved March 7, 2022 via Gale Academic OneFile. The Enquirer makes no pretense about paying for information. It has done so for decades and puts its solicitation for tips right where readers can see them. Brightly colored house ads promise, "Got News? We'll Pay Big Bucks." Such payments are standard operating behavior in the highly competitive world of celebrity tabloid journalism and help publications like the Enquirer maintain "exclusives." [...] What's more, the paper doesn't say which stories were generated by payments, or how much the sources were paid (the amount depends on a number of factors, Levine says, including the tipster's willingness to attest to the information in court if the Enquirer is sued). Thus, it's impossible for a reader to determine which sources were motivated by a desire to inform and which were motivated to say extraordinary things by a payoff.
  5. Sedenksy, Matt (May 21, 2014). "National Enquirer leaving Florida headquarters". ap.org. Associated Press. Archived from the original on November 7, 2014. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 Wang, Christine (April 10, 2019). "American Media Inc. is looking to sell the National Enquirer". cnbc.com. Archived from the original on April 19, 2019. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
  7. 1 2 3 "National Enquirer expected to be sold imminently as parent company faces pressure". Bangor Daily News. April 11, 2019. Archived from the original on April 19, 2019. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
  8. 1 2 Paris, Francesca (April 19, 2019). "'National Enquirer' To Be Sold To Hudson News Heir James Cohen". NPR.org. Archived from the original on April 19, 2019. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
  9. Osborne, Mark (April 18, 2019). "Hudson Media buys National Enquirer for $100 million in wake of Trump, Bezos scandals". ABC News.
  10. "N.J. Hedge fund that owns National Enquirer to take control of McClatchy newspapers, reports say". February 13, 2020. Archived from the original on March 4, 2020. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  11. "Under the Nutmeg Tree." Stamford (CT) Daily Advocate, September 20, 1926, p. 4.
  12. Under Cover, p. 246, by John Roy Carlson, (1943)
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Enquirer/Star Group, Inc. – Company History". Fundinguniverse.com. Archived from the original on April 25, 2010. Retrieved October 16, 2010.
  14. Pope, Paul David (2010). The Deeds of My Fathers: How My Grandfather and Father Built New York and Created the Tabloid World of Today . Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. ISBN   978-1-4422-0486-7. OCLC   600995928 . Retrieved October 23, 2010.
  15. "Flashback Blog: 'The Worlds Largest Decorated Christmas Tree'". Palm Beach Post. December 3, 2009. Archived from the original on December 5, 2009. Retrieved March 4, 2010.
  16. Hatch Rosenberg, Barbara. "Analysis of Anthrax Attacks". Federation of American Scientists. Archived from the original on November 7, 2005. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
  17. Canedy, Dana; with Nicholas Wade (October 6, 2001). "Florida Man Dies of Rare Form of Anthrax". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 15, 2018. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
  18. "Edwards Admits Sexual Affair; Lied as Presidential Candidate – ABC News". Abcnews.go.com. August 8, 2008. Archived from the original on October 29, 2010. Retrieved October 16, 2010.
  19. Kate Pickert (August 12, 2008). "Enquirer Editor: I Feel Vindicated". Time. Archived from the original on June 6, 2024. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  20. [ dead link ]
  21. "SEN. JOHN EDWARDS CAUGHT WITH MISTRESS AND LOVE CHILD!". July 22, 2008. Archived from the original on July 29, 2008. Retrieved July 29, 2008.
  22. "Guard Confirms Late-Night Hotel Encounter Between Ex-Sen. John Edwards, Tabloid Reporters". Fox News . July 25, 2008. Archived from the original on February 15, 2013. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  23. Pérez-Peña, Richard (February 18, 2010). "National Enquirer Is Said to Be Eligible for Pulitzers". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on June 6, 2024. Retrieved May 19, 2019.
  24. Borchers, Callum (July 22, 2016). "Donald Trump wonders why the National Enquirer didn't win a Pulitzer Prize. Here's why". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on January 16, 2017. Retrieved January 15, 2017.
  25. Editors (February 21, 2010) "National Enquirer could get Pulitzer Prize for breaking John Edwards affair story." San Francisco Examiner.
  26. 1 2 "Palin War: Teen Prego Crisis". National Enquirer.
  27. "National Enquirer Alleges Sarah Palin Affair With Brad Hanson". The Huffington Post. May 25, 2011 [October 26, 2008]. Archived from the original on October 20, 2021. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  28. Stein, Sam (May 25, 2011) [October 4, 2008]. "McCain Camp Battles National Enquirer Over Alleged Palin Affair". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on October 20, 2021. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  29. "Police Identify Russian Teenager as Killer of Cosby's Son, Find Gun | the Spokesman-Review". Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  30. Cannon, Carl (May 9, 2016). "Trump's tabloid". RealClearPolitics.com. Archived from the original on May 10, 2016. Retrieved May 15, 2016.
  31. Hopper, Jessica. "Cruz Blames 'Sleazy Donald' for National Enquirer Report" Archived January 10, 2020, at the Wayback Machine , ABC News (March 25, 2016).
  32. 1 2 Hillyard, Vaughn and Rafferty, Andrew. "Ted Cruz Calls Tabloid Report on Alleged Affairs 'Garbage'" Archived March 25, 2016, at the Wayback Machine , NBC News (March 25, 2016).
  33. Gaudino, Nicole. "Ted Cruz blames Donald Trump for 'Enquirer' affairs story" Archived September 16, 2017, at the Wayback Machine , USA Today (March 25, 2016).
  34. Taylor, J.R. (April 20, 2016). "Ted Cruz's Father – Caught With JFK Assassin". Archived from the original on December 27, 2021. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  35. Bump, Philip. "The 50-year-old mystery behind that photo of Lee Harvey Oswald" Archived December 11, 2020, at the Wayback Machine , The Washington Post (May 3, 2016).
  36. 1 2 Blake, Aaron. "Donald Trump’s day of many contradictions" Archived September 17, 2020, at the Wayback Machine , The Washington Post (May 5, 2016).
  37. "DONALD TRUMP FULL INTERVIEW ON FOX & FRIENDS | FOX NEWS (5/3/2016)" Archived February 13, 2021, at the Wayback Machine (YouTube).
  38. "Fox Host Regrets Not Pressing Trump When He Linked Cruz's Dad To Oswald" Archived January 5, 2019, at the Wayback Machine , Talking Points Memo (May 5, 2016).
  39. Morrow, Brendan (July 22, 2016). "Donald Trump Says He Would Reject Ted Cruz Endorsement". Archived from the original on July 24, 2016. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  40. "Donald Trump Remarks in Cleveland, Ohio" Archived August 16, 2016, at the Wayback Machine , C-Span (July 22, 2016). See this video starting at 22:08.
  41. "National Enquirer Shielded Donald Trump From Playboy Model's Affair Allegation". The Wall Street Journal. November 4, 2016. Archived from the original on November 5, 2016. Retrieved November 5, 2016.
  42. "National Enquirer Paid to Kill Story of Playboy Model's Affair with Donald Trump: Report". November 5, 2016. Archived from the original on November 6, 2016. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  43. Farrow, Ronan (April 12, 2018). "The National Enquirer, a Trump Rumor, and Another Secret Payment to Buy Silence". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on August 6, 2018. Retrieved April 12, 2018.
  44. Isidore, Chris; Tom Kludt; Sonia Moghe (April 12, 2018). "Former doorman involved in story of alleged Trump affair speaks". CNN. Archived from the original on August 24, 2018. Retrieved August 25, 2018.
  45. Farrow, Ronan (April 12, 2018). "The National Enquirer, a Trump Rumor, and Another Secret Payment to Buy Silence". The New Yorker. ISSN   0028-792X. Archived from the original on August 6, 2018. Retrieved April 12, 2018.
  46. "$30,000 rumor? Tabloid paid for, spiked, salacious Trump tip". Associated Press . April 12, 2018. Archived from the original on August 23, 2018. Retrieved August 25, 2018.
  47. Moghe, Sonia. "Ex-Trump World Tower doorman releases 'catch-and-kill' contract about alleged Trump affair". CNN. Archived from the original on August 31, 2018. Retrieved August 25, 2018.
  48. Stelter, Brian (June 30, 2017). "Scarborough, Brzezinski say White House used National Enquirer as threat". CNN. Archived from the original on February 7, 2021. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  49. "Jeff Bezos accuses National Enquirer owner of 'extortion and blackmail'". NBC News. February 7, 2019. Archived from the original on February 8, 2019. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
  50. Weise, Karen (February 7, 2019). "Jeff Bezos Accuses National Enquirer of 'Extortion and Blackmail'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 7, 2019. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
  51. "Opinion - AMI played with fire when it threatened Jeff Bezos. Now its getting burned". NBC News. February 10, 2019. Archived from the original on February 13, 2019. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
  52. "Bezos claims AMI had reason to promote Saudi Arabia". cnn.com. February 9, 2019. Archived from the original on April 29, 2019. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
  53. Lindsey, Robert, "CAROL BURNETT GIVEN $1.6 MILLION IN SUIT AGAINST NATIONAL ENQUIRER", The New York Times, March 27, 1981. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  54. Gleick, Elizabeth, "O.J. Feels the Heat", TIME magazine, December 2, 1996. Retrieved August 7, 2008.
  55. "The Accidental Feminist : If the National Enquirer Proved Nothing else During O.J., It Reaffirmed Its Surprising Pro-Woman, Anti-Abuse Stance". Los Angeles Times . December 10, 1995. Archived from the original on October 21, 2022. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  56. Margolick, David (October 24, 1994). "The Enquirer: Required Reading in Simpson Case". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 9, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  57. "Inside the National Enquirer". CBS News . August 17, 2008. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  58. "Salt Lake Tribune fires reporters who sold Smart case information to tabloid" Archived November 20, 2008, at the Wayback Machine courttv.com April 29, 2003. Retrieved July 15, 2007.
  59. Lucinda Dillon Kinkead (April 29, 2003). "Tabloid targets Trib: Newsroom angry over $20,000 Enquirer deal". Deseret News. Archived from the original on December 12, 2003. Retrieved July 15, 2007.
  60. "Carolyn Condit and National Enquirer settle suit" Archived September 27, 2011, at the Wayback Machine rcfp.org 07/11/03. Retrieved July 15, 2007.
  61. "Damages for Hudson over pictures" Archived November 23, 2008, at the Wayback Machine BBC News July 20, 2006. Retrieved July 15, 2007.
  62. No Juice-y Book, Lawyer Says Archived February 2, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  63. "Plug pulled in UK over libel stance" Archived March 17, 2007, at the Wayback Machine , FT.com (Financial Times) March 14, 2007. Retrieved July 15, 2007.
  64. National Enquirer Now Legit, According to Pulitzer Prize Board" Archived May 23, 2020, at the Wayback Machine , by Sheila Marikar and Russell Goldman, February 19, 2010. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  65. "National Enquirer's Whitney Houston Casket Pic: Did They Go Too Far?". February 23, 2012. Archived from the original on September 6, 2013. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  66. "Whitney Houston dying?". Diva. Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. February 24, 2010. Archived from the original on February 24, 2010. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
  67. "Whitney Houston Dying? Collapses on Tour…Cocaine and Alcohol Binge!!!". Archived from the original on November 13, 2011.
  68. Elizabeth Wagmeister, Matt Donnelly (April 6, 2020). "Top Tabloid Exec Dylan Howard Out at American Media Inc. (Exclusive)". Variety.com. Archived from the original on July 28, 2020. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  69. Lee, Edmund; Sorkin, Andrew Ross; Protess, Ben (April 10, 2019). "The National Enquirer Is for Sale, and a Deal Seems Near". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 11, 2019. Retrieved April 11, 2019.
  70. 1 2 "Trump trial: Highlights from opening statements and first witness testimony". Associated Press. April 22, 2024. Archived from the original on April 22, 2024. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  71. 1 2 3 Rohrlich, Justin (April 22, 2024). "Trump Stares Down Old Pal David Pecker as Trial Testimony Begins". Daily Beast. Archived from the original on April 22, 2024. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  72. 1 2 3 4 5 Ellison, Sarah (June 21, 2018). "National Enquirer sent stories about Trump to his attorney Michael Cohen before publication, people familiar with the practice say". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on June 22, 2018.
  73. Hong, Nicole; Palazzolo, Joe; Rothfeld, Michael; O'Brien, Rebecca Davis (June 20, 2018). "Publisher of National Enquirer Subpoenaed in Michael Cohen Probe". The Wall Street Journal . Archived from the original on June 25, 2018. Retrieved June 25, 2018. The subpoena from Manhattan federal prosecutors requesting information from the publisher, American Media Inc., about its August 2016 payment to Karen McDougal is part of a broader criminal investigation of Mr. Trump's former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, they said.
  74. Pearson, Jake; Horwitz, Jeff (April 12, 2018). "$30,000 rumor? Tabloid paid for, spiked, salacious Trump tip". Associated Press. Archived from the original on April 12, 2018. Retrieved April 12, 2018.
  75. "Ex-publisher details 'catch and kill' at Trump's hush money trial". The Washington Post . April 23, 2024. Archived from the original on April 23, 2024. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  76. 1 2 Kates, Graham; Kaufman, Katrina (April 23, 2024). "Trump trial hears testimony from David Pecker about "catch and kill" scheme". CBS News. Archived from the original on April 23, 2024. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  77. Taylor, J.R. (September 20, 2017). "Apology Regarding Judge Judy And Nicole Sheindlin". National Enquirer. Archived from the original on October 24, 2017. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
  78. Darcy, Oliver (April 23, 2024). "Former National Enquirer boss breaks his silence on 'catch and kill' as lead witness in Trump trial". CNN. Archived from the original on April 23, 2024. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  79. Arbel, Tali (June 2, 2021). "National Enquirer owner fined for illegal Trump campaign aid". Associated Press. Archived from the original on March 6, 2022. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  80. Tucker, Eric. "The 'catch and kill' caper: How prosecutors nailed Cohen and hung a cloud over Trump". Fortworthbusiness.com. Archived from the original on August 23, 2018. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
  81. Held, Amy (February 16, 2018). "Alleged Ex-Trump Paramour Says 'Catch And Kill' Practice Kept Her Quiet". NPR.org. Archived from the original on February 12, 2019. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
  82. 1982 National Enquirer TV commercial Archived February 4, 2009, at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved February 2, 2009.
  83. Dave Wilton, Slang in Buffy the Vampire Slayer Archived December 2, 2008, at the Wayback Machine November 1, 2002. Retrieved February 2, 2009.
  84. "XVR27's "Weird Al" Yankovic Homepage - Lyrics - Midnight Star". Com-www.com. Archived from the original on November 7, 2010. Retrieved January 20, 2011.
  85. "TESS -- Error". Archived from the original on October 18, 2015. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
  86. Walsh, Katie (November 17, 2014). "DOC NYC Review: 'Enquiring Minds: The Untold Story Of The Man Behind The National Enquirer'". IndieWire. Archived from the original on December 9, 2023. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
  87. Fagerholm, Matt (November 15, 2019). "Scandalous: The True Story of the National Enquirer". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on June 6, 2024. Retrieved December 9, 2023.