National Enquirer

This article is about the tabloid newspaper. For the abolitionist newspaper, see National Enquirer (1836). For other uses, see Enquirer (disambiguation).

National Enquirer
Editor in ChiefDylan Howard[1]
CategoriesTabloid
FrequencyWeekly
Total circulation
(2018)		265,000[2]
First issue1926
CompanyAmerican Media, Inc.
CountryUnited States
Based inNew York City
LanguageEnglish
Websitewww.nationalenquirer.com
ISSN1056-3482

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.

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]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Nytimes2014-05-07 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  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. ^ a b 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. ^ a b "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. ^ 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.