Sensationalism Six Pack: One Company Owns All the U.S. Supermarket Tabloids – Brief Article
C. Eugene Emery Jr.
The newspapers that publish more pseudoscience rubbish than anyone–the supermarket tabloids–are now owned by the same company.
According to the September 2000 issue of the American Journalism Review, American Media Inc., based in Palm Beach County, Florida, now owns the National Enquirer, Star, the Globe, National Examiner, Sun and Weekly World News.
In a story describing how American Media CEO David Pecker is trying to legitimize some of his tabloids to counter a decline in circulation, Darcie Lunsford outlined the various niches each tabloid is supposed to covet.
The Enquirer, the tabloid with the largest circulation, is trying to focus on big Hollywood hard news; it is using the motto “No Elvis. No aliens. No UFOs.” Meanwhile, the Star is being retooled to concentrate on celebrities, the Globe is supposed to cover the spicy parts of a story, the National Examiner’s forte will be bizarre human-interest stories, and the Sun will use health and religious stories to appeal to the 55+ audience.
But at Weekly World News, expect more aliens, more UFOs, and more Elvis. Lunsford reported that there will be no change in the credo of editor Eddie Clontz’s: “Never question yourself out of a good story. You have got to know when to stop asking questions.”
The article is available online at http://ajr.newslink.org/ajrdarciesept00.html.
COPYRIGHT 2001 Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal
COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group
