This research paper examines and evaluates the experience of
The National Enquirer (The Enquirer) in defending itself in cases involving claims that the tabloid has libeled persons mentioned
in its articles or otherwise violated their legal rights. The Enquirer has avoided thus far large liabilities because: (1) it has ably defended its interests, including settling most difficult cases; (2) state and federal courts have generally ruled in favor of The Enquirer because of certain decisions of the United States Supreme Court relating to the First Amendment rights of the press; and (3) plaintiffs have encountered certain other procedural difficulties in sustaining their claims against the Enquirer. The record of The Enquirer, however, since 1991 has been more mixed, reflecting a determination of some celebrities to bring the tabloid to account for inaccuracies in its articles which suggests that some hard fought battles lie ahead.
The Enquirer was purchased by Generoso Pope, Jr. in 1952 for $75,000 when it had an annual circulation of 17,000. After it began specializing in articles dealing with television personalities and other celebrities, its circulation rose to five million per week and was reportedly at 3.3 million per week in 1995. The Enquirer, which is headquartered in Lantana, Florida, is the queen of the tabloid press, which includes such publications as The Star, The Globe, The National Examiner, The Sun, The Weekly World News and The London News of World,
among others. The tabloid press specializes in sensational , articles on public figures which usually have "a kernel of truth, [which they] stretch and embellish . . . so much that the finished product bears no resemblance to what they started with."
Their motivation for doing so, so long as they can get away with the practice, is to sell copy. When she was asked about the frequency of such practices, a reporter for The Sun, who inaccurately reported...