By Chuck Woodbury
Publisher
What I am about to tell you is a secret only a few of my closest friends know. It’s this: I once wrote for the National Enquirer. No kidding! It was back in the early 1980s, when the Enquirer was incredibly popular—its circulation was about six million (it’s now down to about 260,000).
I don’t know how I hooked up with the paper, but I did, and, wow, was it ever a learning experience! I was paid very well, and I badly, badly needed the money. I struggled most months to pay my rent (common struggling writer thing…). Some weekends I lived on popcorn, all I could afford. I still believed in my future as a writer so I kept going just like the Energizer Bunny. Money from the Enquirer was like a gift from Heaven.
I ended up writing for the tabloid for about a year, as a freelancer, not on the staff. Then I quit. It was just too sleazy. I never wrote dishonestly, but I felt uncomfortable with how I was asked to write—putting words into people’s mouths, for example.
At the same time, I was freelancing for USA Today, covering breaking news. One time my bylined story ended up on the cover. I was proud of that. How different could two publications be! Both experiences taught me a lot.
I bring this up because a few days ago, I spotted the Enquirer at the local Safeway checkout line. It got me thinking about life today as a writer and publisher.
The fact is that most successful news websites today are to some degree modern versions of the Enquirer. Ditto for cable news and even the broadcast networks. Local TV news has been tabloid-like for years: It’s basically crime news, which is always good for ratings. “If it bleeds, it leads.”
Today, if you want to increase your chances of success publishing a blog, website or YouTube channel, model it after the Enquirer. Come up with scare headlines and you’re halfway there. Exaggerate about a new deadly disease that just appeared in Africa. Or if there’s any hint that an asteroid is headed anywhere near Earth, my God, we’re talking Armageddon!
But wait! There’s more!
A new twist to dishonest journalism, and an even better way to get traffic, is to make readers angry—even better, fighting mad! If you publish a website that appeals to liberals, then bash conservatives every chance you get. Ditto for conservative websites—bash those damn liberals—turn them into enemies if you can. Never, ever, ever, admit that the other side “may have a point.” Most people, whether they admit it or not, would rather have their beliefs reinforced than to admit that maybe they were wrong!
At RVtravel.com we know that the juicier the headline the more people will click through, and that means more income. I believe the challenge for publishers these days is to be very careful about how far they are willing to bend the truth to attract readers. At RVtravel.com we don’t lie. We try really hard to be ethical. But, I’m telling you, sometimes it takes great restraint to not cross the line, where money is just laying there…
Alas, in the end, the “Enquirer” game has to be played to some degree in order to stay in the game. If you can outright, purposely lie and still sleep at night, then start shopping for a yacht because you can afford it.
I’m sad about today’s tabloidization of the news. The fact that media can exaggerate so easily is, in the end, very bad for our world. Today, in its quest for increased circulation, the media is fueling our anger over and over. And, really, the anger would not even exist otherwise.
Here are two excellent books that discuss this more. Do yourself a favor and read them. Broken News: Why the Media Rage Machine Divides America and How to Fight Back and Trust Me, I’m Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator. And if you’re a member of PBS, watch the Masterpiece Theater mini-series “Press”, which is about an ethical London daily newspaper and a sleazy tabloid that is killing it. Here’s the trailer:
It’s good to hear someone who did it admit it, as opposed to double speak word salad pretending the opposite. Thank you, Chuck. Where’s Walter Cronkite when we need him most?
Pushing up dandelions.
And inflating Vietnam War deaths to add his slant.
Once again, Thank You
Agree!
A poll that crossed the wires earlier this week said that the majority of Americans believe that the greatest threat to democracy is the mainstream media. I never trust a source that makes it’s living from ratings.
Agree. The media is the most dangerous virus out there. Pure propaganda.
so unless you see something with your own eyes it didn’t happen? Come on.
The reason our country is in the condition it’s in is because to many people watch CNN or MSNBC for their news. Those organizations would rather climb a 50’ power pole and tell you a lie as to stand on the ground and tell the truth. (Old southern saying cleaned up)
I’m sorry, which “news network” was sued for 787.5 million bucks for LYING…..??? I don’t believe it was CNN or MSNBC.
Thank you, Chuck!
Network morning shows are no longer news shows, just “ET” in the morning instead of night. Even the Weather Channel now just reports disasters, not routine daily weather, because that’s what gets the ratings. When I turn on local news, I mute the “news” portion and ads (thank you, inventor of the TV remote!) and only turn the sound back on for the weather and sports.
Unfortunately, we had to drop our newspaper delivery because the print edition had become too expensive and starting and stopping it for RV trips too much of a hassle. But we did keep the online version of the newspaper, which is actually much handier when RVing.
But, for me, RVTravel is the first thing I read every morning (my wife still reads the newspaper first). So, please keep writing honest news about RVing!
I used to enjoy PBS until they became everything Chuck is complaining about above. I hope RV travel is able to keep up the good journalism. It is one of my few remaining pleasures to read each Saturday and Sunday.
Our daughter has a journalism degree from a major recognized university. During her time at a local TV network affiliate there was a day when she was in the newsroom. Something happened by a long time, well thought of reporter assigned to cover a story. As the reporter was leaving the station for her assignment my daughter heard her tell someone, and I paraphrase, “Let’s see if I can get one of those little children to cry on camera!”.That was the beginning of the end of my daughter’s blossoming journalism career. It was about 25 years ago.
While I do not believe in the conspiratorial cry “FAKE NEWS” as what that signifies to me as what follows it is purely fake. There can be and is a bias to certain networks and their “news”. It is also true to local “News” as presented by certain stations owned by certain companies. The bias is both right and left leaning. I long for the return of Swazey, Edwards, Huntley, Brinkley, Murrow and Cronkite. Since that isn’t happening I fear for us all
Arthur, you said it! Most media are worthless, in my opinion. I get my news from National Public Radio (NPR). They interview people of opposing viewpoints, so I believe that they present more balanced news coverage. And, best of all, there are no commercials. [NOTE: For those who care, “media” is the plural of “medium”]
NPR is seriously left-leaning (more than Fox to the right) and should not be publicly funded.
Yep! Even FOX is being corrupted by advertising money now, that’s why their top money making anchor was fired, advertising!
Even NPR can and is biased based on the CEO’s personal beliefs. Long gone are the days where a news media is totally unbiased. As long as media is controlled by money, money will control media.
Arthur…you said it all.
It’s not that most all news stories don’t have any basis of truth, but how the words are twisted and manipulated to slant a viewer or reader’s understanding or perception. With way too many adults in the US having a grade school level language comprehension (54% below 6th grade), it’s not hard for biased writers or entire “news” organizations to easily manipulate the facts.
And now, after Covid….our kids language/reading comprehension has only been lowered to historic lows, which means the media (especially social media) will only further brainwash our country.
Those media people from the past you listed were as slanted as any.
I believe very little of what I read and see. Until I can research MULTIPLE sources and sort through the bias, and arrive at an “Average” as to the truth. I consider most published work to be propaganda, not news. Devised to convince or hide, not inform.
Agreed!
It’s not too difficult to figure out what direction a writer leans, even the ones that try to hide it, there are always subtle words or phrases that slip through like when trying to differentiate between liberals and them “damn” conservatives.
I don’t remember what year the darn 24 hours a day cable “so called news stations” came into our lives, but that was the beginning of the end for fair and honest journalism.
Chuck,
Thanks for crusade you fight every day- for us all it’s worth it!
I just want to add my name to Drew’s comment here. Thanks for sure!
Add me to the list too. Thanks Chuck!
Didn’t biased journalism begin with the invention of the printing press? It certainly existed in excess during the time of the US Civil War!
I often watch the news with the sound off, just watching the expressions of the caster’s faces shows the bias. I read several different sources of the same story and that clarifies the bias for me. There should not be adjectives when reporting the news, just the facts…..
Reminds me of the Eagles song, “She can tell you about a plane crash, with a gleam in her eye…”
Chuck, thank you for candidly sharing your sorted early years and most all of us have “details” of our past lives we’d just as soon gloss over… and then there’s the issue of revisionist history which reminds me of the quip, “Only Mom loves a Resulter!”
Pivoting to news, last week Bill Maher was interviewing Chris Wallace and poignantly shared that early news of TV with Cronkite and Huntley/Brinkley were never expected to make money, with news being a loss-leader to support the TV network’s brand as a public service.
Maher went on to say that when the “60 Minutes” show aired, it became the most popular of all TV shows and was the first time a news show turned a profit. Ironically, Chris’ father Mike Wallace was part of Don Hewett’s gang that were the forefathers leading to today’s polarized news to chase after the almighty advertising dollars.
I am not familiar with either author Chuck mentioned check up on the news media industry. However, I suggest that anyone who does want to find out how sleazy and biased the news industry is read, Sheryl Attkisson whose most recent book “Slanted” tells of how the media slanted the Covid-19 news and the currant administration in Washington.
Attkisson is a former CBS and 60 minutes reporter who left the network after some frightening strange moments that occured to her and her family during her coverage of the Fast and Furious gun scandel during the Obama administration.
As full-time rv’ers, we travel all over this wonderful country and prefer to stay in small towns to explore their culture. When we get to a town, we scan for local over the air TV channels. For most of these little towns away from large cities, the only local free over the air news channel is Fox News. I think that single biased influence is affecting the heartland of our country and not in a good way.
🤔Interesting. When we travel the country the only OTA Fox available is a local affiliate. Since they are subscription only, the only way I can get the National channel is via one of my subscription services (logging into my [home] cable company or DirectTV. What am I doing wrong?
I have been a reader of Fox news for years but now it has evolved into an “enquirer” type organization. CNN is the same. Sad state our world is in.
Absolute truth!! And the politicians use the media to further divide our country’s people, encouraging our distraction while we argue with family and friends. That way they can do, to us and our country, whatever they please.
The Fairness Doctrine for news broadcast was passed in 1949 and 1987 it was abolished. I believe this had a lot to do with the state of our country now all based on our first amendment.
The Enquirer is best used for starting the campfire.
That might cause some toxic fumes. Don’t breath in any smoke until the paper is all burnt.
I feel the gun violence, violent demonstrations, murders are because of the news media dwelling on those issues. They want increased viewers so they can increase their advertising dollars. In some instances making hero’s out of mass murders, school shooters and so on. Which cause other nuts to do the same. The news media is also responsible for us having worthless politicians. Dwelling on abortion issues instead of people being homeless, needing food, medical care and much more.
Thank you, Chuck! Thank you for staying true and fighting the enticements to bend the truth just a little or a lot. That much of why I stick around here as a daily (more or less) reader.
Readers/viewers are the cause of the news media’s demise. People pay for hysterics and stories that strongly affirm their personal beliefs and do not pay for neutral, nuanced work. As Pogo said, “we have met the enemy and he is us.”
Absolutely! Many pay attention only to the TV/print/radio programs that agree with and reinforce their views and disparage anything else. I have tried to tell several friends that the more viewers/listeners the hosts gain by the slanted, emotional, loud and shocking hype they present, which is OPINION, not NEWS, the more money they make. This is true of conservative and liberal both.
Was a song I remember mid 1970’s or so called “Sunday papers” by Joe Jackson, mocked these kind of tabloids.
Good stuff Chuck, I’m glad to see you survived that year and eating popcorn as well. I appreciate all the effort from everyone at RV Travel in making it a respectful and informative source of information every day.
The best news was on The Art Linkletter show: “Kids say the darndest things!”.
Thank you for this. I also appreciated the book references, and the PBS Masterpiece suggestion.
Thank you Chuck. We trust you and your writing staff for honest and factual reporting. The commenters below should be a wake up call for the media (Print/Tv/radio mediums) to clean up their act. But, money talks, just like it did to you in a time of need. Sad state of affairs when we have so much at stake. As the country becomes more divided – we lose all around.
As an example of what you wrote about : The NY Times yesterday or day before, reported Hunter Biden’s speech at the outdoor podium – quoted word for word – EXCEPT they left out the word “financial” from his quote, which changes peoples tho’t about an important detail!
Found a newer publication called AMAC. Association of Mature American Citizens that claims to be the conservative voice as compared to AARP. I’ve only read a few articles but they seem to be more along the lines of a more straight truth publication. Time will tell.