The ongoing hush money trial of former President Donald Trump has lifted the lid on a murky corner of the media industry: pay-to-play tabloid journalism. During his 2016 presidential campaign, Trump enjoyed close ties with the National Enquirer, headed by American Media Inc. CEO David Pecker. Pecker testified under oath that he actively sought to be Trump’s “eyes and ears,” engaging in a scheme to “catch” (buy the rights to) and “kill” (never publish) negative Trump stories. Trump is now accused of falsifying documents related to a payment made to Stormy Daniels to suppress her alleged affair with him. Pecker’s testimony highlights the disturbing tactics used by some tabloid outlets, including paying sources for stories and embellishing information to create salacious headlines. While there are arguments for compensating marginalized sources, the practice of buying stories is generally taboo in traditional newsrooms. The National Enquirer’s “checkbook journalism” approach raises concerns about the credibility and independence of such outlets.
