Tabloid journalism is a popular style of largely sensationalist journalism, which takes its name from thetabloid newspaper format: a small-sized newspaper also known as a halfbroadsheet.[1] The size became associated with sensationalism, andtabloid journalism replaced the earlier label ofyellow journalism andscandal sheets.[2] Not all newspapers associated with tabloid journalism are tabloid size, and not all tabloid-size newspapers engage in tabloid journalism; since around the year 2000, many broadsheet newspapers converted to the more compact tabloid format.[1]
In some cases, celebrities have successfully sued tabloids forlibel, demonstrating that the tabloid's stories have defamed them.[3] Publications engaging in tabloid journalism are also known asrag newspapers or simplyrags. In the 21st century, tabloid journalism has shifted to online platforms targeting youth consumers with celebrity news and entertainment.
Scandal sheets were the precursors to tabloid journalism. Around 1770, scandal sheets appeared in London, and in the United States as early as the 1840s.[4]Reverend Henry Bate Dudley was the editor of one of the earliest scandal sheets,The Morning Post, which specialized in printing malicious societygossip, selling positive mentions in its pages, and collecting suppression fees to keep stories unpublished.[5]: 11–14 OtherGeorgian era scandal sheets wereTheodore Hook'sJohn Bull,Charles Molloy Westmacott'sThe Age, andBarnard Gregory'sThe Satirist.[5]: 53 William d'Alton Mann, owner of the scandal sheetTown Topics, explained his purpose: "My ambition is to reformthe Four Hundred by making them too deeply disgusted with themselves to continue their silly, empty way of life."[5]: 93 Many scandal sheets in the U.S. were short-lived attempts atblackmail.[5]: 90 One of the most popular in the U.S. was theNational Police Gazette.[4]
Scandal sheets in the early 20th century were usually 4- or 8-page cheap papers specializing in the lurid and profane, sometimes used to grind political, ideological, or personal axes, sometimes to make money (because "scandal sells"), and sometimes for extortion. A Duluth, Minnesota example was theRip-saw, written by afundamentalist journalist namedJohn L. Morrison who was outraged by the vice and corruption he observed in that 1920s mining town.Rip-saw regularly published accusations of drunkenness, debauchery, and corruption against prominent citizens and public officials. Morrison was convicted of criminal libel in one instance, but his scandal sheet may have contributed to several politicians losing their elections. After Morrison published an issue claiming that State Senator Mike Boylan had threatened to kill him, Boylan responded by helping to pass thePublic Nuisance Bill of 1925. It allowed a singlejudge, withoutjury, to stop a newspaper or magazine from publishing, forever. Morrison died before the new law could be used to shut downRip-saw.The Saturday Press was another Minnesota scandal sheet. When the Public Nuisance Bill of 1925 was used to shut downThe Saturday Press,the case made its way to theUnited States Supreme Court which found thegag law to be unconstitutional.[6]
In the United States and Canada, "supermarket tabloids" are large, national versions of these tabloids, usually published weekly. They are named for their prominent placement along thesupermarket checkout lines.
In the 1960s, theNational Enquirer began selling magazines in supermarkets as an alternative to newsstands. To help with their rapport with supermarkets and continue their franchise within them, they had offered to buy back unsold issues so newer, more up to date ones could be displayed.[3]
These tabloids—such as theGlobe and theNational Enquirer—often use aggressive tactics to sell their issues. Unlike regular tabloid-format newspapers, supermarket tabloids are distributed through the magazine distribution channel like other weekly magazines and mass-market paperback books. Leading examples include theNational Enquirer,Star,Weekly World News (later reinvented as a parody of the style), and theSun. Most major supermarket tabloids in the U.S. are published byAmerican Media, Inc., including theNational Enquirer,Star,Globe, andNational Examiner.
A major event in the history of U.S. supermarket tabloids was the successful libel lawsuit byCarol Burnett against theNational Enquirer (Carol Burnett v. National Enquirer, Inc.), arising out of a false 1976 report in theNational Enquirer, implying she was drunk and boisterous in a public encounter with U.S. Secretary of StateHenry Kissinger. Though its impact is widely debated, it is generally seen as a significant turning point in the relations between celebrities and tabloid journalism, increasing the willingness of celebrities to sue for libel in the U.S., and somewhat dampening the recklessness of U.S. tabloids.[7][8][9][10][11][3] Other celebrities have attempted to sue tabloid magazines for libel and slander includingPhil McGraw in 2016[3] andRichard Simmons in 2017.[12]
Tabloids maypay for stories. Besidesscoops meant to be headline stories, this can be used to censor stories damaging to the paper's allies. Known as "catch and kill", tabloid newspapers may pay someone for the exclusive rights to a story, then choose not to run it.[13] PublisherAmerican Media has been accused of burying stories embarrassing toArnold Schwarzenegger,[14]Donald Trump,[15] andHarvey Weinstein.[16]
The term "red tops" refers to British tabloids with redmastheads, such asThe Sun, theDaily Star, theDaily Mirror,News of the World, and theDaily Record.[17] Red top publications may report on politics and international news, but tend to focus primarily oncelebrity gossip andsensationalism. Red tops publish short stories with simple language and typically use more pictures than other newspapers.[18]
In the early 21st century, much of tabloid journalism and news production changed mediums toonline formats. This change is to keep up with theera of digital media and allow for increased accessibility of readers. With a steadydecline in paid newspapers, the gap has been filled by expected free daily articles, mostly in the tabloid format. Tabloid readers are often youths, and studies show that consumers of tabloids are on average less educated.[19] It can often depictinaccurate news[20] and misrepresent individuals and situations.
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