Tabloid Publications: Do They Present News or Gossip?

The short answer is, yes.

For many years, The Enquirer presented sensational stories. Stories so sensational and outrageous that they couldn't be believed. Their sources were less than stellar and many times their witnesses were less than creditable.

The National Enquirer, while still considered to be just a tabloid, a gossip rag, has been proving itself to be somewhat better than that. While I can't remember just what stories have been proven to be true, they are doing better as journalists than given credit for.The latest of course, is the John Edwards affair. Edwards kept denying the affair that The Enquirer was writing about. As it turned out, The Enquirer was on point. Edwards finally admitted to the affair. The Enquirer is insisting that Rielle Hunter's baby is his, which he denies.

While I'm not ready to believe everything I read in The Enquirer, I'll have to at least give some credence to what they publish. Am I admitting I read The Enquirer? Well, not for some years, but I do look at the headlines while I'm checking out at the grocery store. And I have bookmarked The Enquirer for future reference.

The Enquirer has come a long way, but it's still one of those guilty secrets that so many of us have. Maybe one day The Enquirer won't be the magazine that we hide in our grocery bags so that our credibility doesn't take a hit.