Fake News and Failed Friendships : An Analysis of Trump , Pecker , and the National Enquirer
Former president Barack Obama and his family were subjects of disparaging stories . One alleged that the Obamas were divorcing . The headline on December 14 , 2016 , screamed “ Malia Obama�Out of Control ” and reported that Obama ’ s daughter was missing because she was undergoing treatment for cocaine addiction ( 1 ). The National Enquirer ran a cover story on February 8 , 2017 , “ Obama ’ s Secret Plot to Impeach Donald Trump ,” claiming Obama was secretly trying to get Trump impeached ( 1 ).
The Enquirer signals who is out of favor with the president . After , the news broke that the FBI raided the home of Paul Manafort , the National Enquirer reported that the president ’ s former campaign chairman cheated on his wife ( Siegel 1 ). Once Cohen turned on the President , readers of the May 7 , 2018 , edition of the Enquirer learned of “ TRUMP FIXER ’ S SECRETS & LIES !” ( 1 , 16 ). National Memo writer Oliver Willis announced , “ Afraid he will squeal to Feds , Trumps Tabloid Pals ’ Attack Cohen ” ( 1 ). Trump stories in the Enquirer ceased after a Federal Court subpoenaed Pecker ’ s records , but their sister publication , the Globe , lambasted radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh for insinuating the President gave into Rep . Nancy Pelosi ( D ) over the wall with Mexico .
CATCH AND KILL
The Enquirer practiced a type of transactional journalism known as “ catch and kill ” for decades . They paid for stories , but did not print them , thus gaining leverage over the celebrities involved . Ronan Farrow of the New Yorker received threats of blackmail from representatives of The Enquirer while researching his story , “ A Playboy Model and a System for Concealing Identity ,” according to The Washington Post reporters Allyson Chiu and Kayla Epstein ( para . 1 ). Farrow said , “ Pecker knows where the bodies are buried and has the
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