Tabloids and Celebrities

December 1, 2009 - ENQUIRER EXCLUSIVE / WORLD EXCLUSIVE: WOMAN AT CENTER OF TOGER WOODS CHEATING SCANDAL EXPOSED!!

In this article, Ashley Simpson, friend of Rachel Uchitel, the woman accused of having an extra-marital affair with Tiger Woods speaks as the sole source of information about this supossed relationship. Although this story does constitute news (other reputable sources i.e. Good Morning America, The New York Post, etc. are covering this story), this story has a gossipy edge to it's delivery that renders it unreputable. The headline, with the use of "WORLD EXCLUSIVE" in capital and bolded letters, gives it a grandiose, larger-than-life feel that, quite frankly, the meager substance of the article does not substantiate; furthermore, punctuality, adverbs, and adjectives seem to purposefully used to add hype and emphasis and sensationalism to the story. Three times the story cites that this "blockbuster cover story was verified with polygraphs"; however, I question the reliability of lie-detector tests, especially when this is the only method used to verify sources. The entire story is based on the hearsay of Ashley Simpson, a woman who claims to be the friend of Rachel Uchital, the woman Tiger allegedly cheated on his family with. Photographs are used to comment on Rachel's lifestyle (raunchy, lewd, "party-girl"). It is interesting that the pictures features Ashley and were supplied by Ashley, as well. One might conclude that Ashley is seeking her own fifteen minutes of the spotlight.
In a highly regarded newspaper like the New York Times or Washington Post, the facts in a news story are meticulously checked and confirmed with multiple sources (when everything goes as it should). Editors and writers conform to journalistic standards and work hard to maintain an overall sense of objectivity. Tabloids don't seem to follow any of these rules. The key to tabloid story writing is that something doesn't have to be true to print -- someone just has to have said that it was true. Writers can bring in sources and experts to confirm just about anything. They will use leading questions to get a "money quote" from a source, or offer up the quote themselves and use it as long as the source agrees with them.
As the video clip states,a symbiotic relationship exists between tabloids and celebrities. A large proportion of tabloid celebrity news comes from celebrities themselves, often by way of their publicists. Some stars build a working relationship with a tabloid, offering inside stories in exchange for the free publicity. At other times, the tabloid will accept inside stories while agreeing to avoid running harsh or negative stories about a certain star. The studios even leak information about upcoming movies or the scripts for the new season of a TV show to get publicity for the show. We buy these tabloids and read these stories because we want to have an ambient awareness of and para-social relationship with celebrities. For more "info" on this story see:http://www.nationalenquirer.com/tiger_woods_cheating_rachel_uchitel_exposed_source/celebrity/67747#