Age of Print Gossip Appears to Be Kaput

What is perhaps the nation's most famous print tabloid has been sold to a new owner after a three-year hunt for a buyer, reports CNN. VVIP Ventures bought the National Enquirer and sister publications the National Examiner and the Globe from A360 in a cash deal whose price wasn't disclosed. With the sale, Axios declares that "America's print tabloid era is over." Large tabloids, particularly ones that cater in gossip, simply have not kept up with the times and have lost readers to online gossip sites and digital influencers, writes Sara Fischer.

The Enquirer was embroiled in controversy in recent years after admitting in 2018 that it engaged in the practice known as "catch and kill" on behalf of Donald Trump in his first presidential campaign, notes the Washington Post. Meaning, the tabloid bought and then suppressed stories that might damage his prospects, include former Playboy model Karen McDougal's allegations of an affair. Also, Amazon's Jeff Bezos in 2019 accused the Enquirer's owner, then called American Media, of trying to extort him over racy text images. (More National Enquirer stories.)