I used to be a tabloid reporter AMA

[AprilONeil]

Been meaning to offer up a thread on here for a while but tbh have been too nervous, since I know how people round these 'ere parts feel about the tabloids.

Anyway, I used to work as a showbiz reporter on a British tabloid newspaper (would rather not say which one because potentially outing) and have since moved into a more 'worthy' area of journalism.

AMA...

(Dons hard hat)

@sycamorecottage

I was once with a friend whose immediate family member was very high profile. Her phone rang and it was the press, they asked for a comment about a particular situation. My friend said "No comment" and I heard the journalist say "Oh well, we'll just make it up then".

The following day the story was all over the press, and I knew that it was all complete rubbish because after my friend put the phone down, she told me what was really going on. She then rang family member and they had a good laugh about it. I was sitting right beside her and could hear both sides of the conversation.

Since then, I can't say I'm inclined to believe everything I read.

I don't really know what to say to this. I mean, when someone's about to do something illicit they don't usually tell you about it, do they - it's not like a burglar asks for your keys and when you say "no" he goes, "well I'm going to burgle your house anyway".

I can only think that either you misheard or the journo said it as a joke/to wind your friend up because she wouldn't talk. But most journalists, even if we're disappointed, are pretty used to hearing "I'd rather not comment thanks" so I can't imagine he'd be that upset about it. We're more used to people slamming the phone down on us!

That's not to say there isn't the odd unscrupulous journalist who would make up a quote (unbeknown to his editors) but you'd think they'd be smart enough not to tell the person they're making up a quote from

Do you think anything changed after the Leveson inquiry?
Do you believe that Rebekah Brooks didn’t know what her staff were doing?

@BuffaloMozzerella

Did the job pay well?

Generally journalism doesn't pay well anymore although the tabloids pay better than broadsheets.

The industry is in such dire straits though the job security is practically nil (except for those who happen to be related to other people in the industry - the nepotism is honestly appalling )

@NotEvenTheKing

This thread is fascinating.

I'm curious to know when you worked for the tabloids? Just to better pick my question

Mid 2010s

Sorry I can’t work out how to quote on my phone... but you said “This is such a weird question - obviously we're held to exactly the same standards.

If a celeb complains to the MD my editor (and then me) is hauled in to explain where we got the info from/how we stood it up/whether we gave the person an opportunity to comment.”

But if you are held to the same standards how do tabloid reporters get away with a story speculating that someone is pregnant, or having an affair? That wouldn’t get past our lawyer in a million years.

@Spudlet

Jonathan Powell did a talk on a training course I attended (quite a fee years ago now) and said that all newspapers play on the fears of their readership, but the DM is unique in that it first creates the fears, then plays on them. What do you think op - fair comment or no? Personally I’m not sure that just applies to the DM any more...!

I think the fact that the DM is singled out like this repeatedly and irrationally as a bogeyman speaks to its cultural influence.

The best papers reflect their readers and the DM has always been excellent at divining what its readers - who, by the way, include a lot of immigrants as well as 'middle England' - are thinking.

But look, yes, to some extent all media plays on people's fears - it's why the news is mostly negative (wars/natural disasters/riots). Even the Guardian - it's just their topics are picked to scare their readers. So Brexit, climate change, race etc

@shesellsseashells99

What event, whether it was a natural disaster, terrorist attack, murder of other saddened and shocked you most?

If you mean in terms of professional interaction, I didn't do hard news so fortunately I didn't come across it too much before although I do a bit more now - it's always very hard interviewing someone about their terminal condition or losing a child.

I wasn't able to cover this professionally but most shocking incident I've come across is probably David and Aimee Challenor in terms of depravity and public reaction. If that had been any other aspiring politician their career would have been over before it had begun.

@Violetparis

Are there any stories on politicians that you feel the public should know about but are kept quiet because they are damaging to the political stance of a newspaper?

Eh? That's just... that's just absolutely not how newspapers work.

I am quite concerned at some of the conspiracy-theory thinking cropping up.

The DM for example regularly runs damaging stories about Conservative politicians. They've been extremely critical of Boris this week.

Honestly, as an excerise have a go at reading some tabloids - print editions - every day for a week. You can even do it through your local library so you don't have to pay. You will see plenty of negative stories about Conservatives, Boris etc

@bevelino

Do the tabloids pay minor celebrities to produce stories and bikini shots under a retainer? The same women, Liz Hurley, Katie Price, the Towie and Made in Chelsea women appear continuously in the tabloids.

Again I never had much to do with the picture desk but I doubt it. I think the ones you mentioned are just publicity-hounds and they know by now certain shots are guaranteed to get them coverage. Most of them are just taken straight from Instagram!

Do you think the public gets the journalism is deserves?

@Baboutheocelot

Do you think anything changed after the Leveson inquiry? Do you believe that Rebekah Brooks didn’t know what her staff were doing?

Yes a lot changed after Leveson, although I don't have direct comparison since I joined after, but from what I've gleaned.

Too much to go into here but just generally the newspapers toe the line much more - so for example, re: camping out in front of murder victims' relatives' houses now as mentioned below, if the relative sends out a notification asking to be left alone, that is 100% respected now - we'd get an email round the entire newsroom saying not to try and contact that person/family. I think before Leveson it was more of a free for all.

Also general encroachment of privacy laws through the courts has changed the industry massively.

Re Brooks, that was before my time but yes I can believe it. I don't think I ever once spoke to the editor of my paper while I worked there.

Your tone is really unpleasant in your answer to what I thought was a reasonable question about politicians, I was asking about politicians in general not just the Conservatives.

@AprilONeil

I think one think to add about Farrah and JKR - Farrah could have stuck to running round his local park, but he chose to become a professional athlete in the full knowledge many professional athletes become celebrities.

JKR could have stuck to writing stories for her daughter but she sought out publishers so that as many people as possible could read her stories (and boy did she succeed).

So yes, they both to some extent courted celebrity ie being celebrated for their hard work and talent.

Oh come on now, OP...really? You don't really believe that crap you just spouted?
Being excellent, and competitive doesn't equate to courting fame. JK shouldn't have tried to use her skill/ imagination to make a living?

Would you feel the same way if you became a popular journalist ( and who knows, you may be) and someone dug up dirt about you?

This is a great thread,but you don't appear to have any sort of regret ?

@GammyLeg

Sorry I can’t work out how to quote on my phone... but you said “This is such a weird question - obviously we're held to exactly the same standards.

If a celeb complains to the MD my editor (and then me) is hauled in to explain where we got the info from/how we stood it up/whether we gave the person an opportunity to comment.”

But if you are held to the same standards how do tabloid reporters get away with a story speculating that someone is pregnant, or having an affair? That wouldn’t get past our lawyer in a million years.

Tabloids don't "speculate someone is pregnant or having an affair".

They're not allowed to cover medical stories - including pregnancy - unless it's already been publicly discussed by the celebrity/individual concerned.

They don't "speculate" about people having affairs. If they've run those stories it's because they've stood it up or it's already in the public domain.

We once weren't allowed to run pics of a married aristocrat kissing his mistress in public because it was seen as an invasion of privacy.

@Matildatoldsuchdreadfullies

Do you think the public gets the journalism is deserves?

100%

@Violetparis

Your tone is really unpleasant in your answer to what I thought was a reasonable question about politicians, I was asking about politicians in general not just the Conservatives.

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come across so harshly. But from what I understood you were suggesting a newspaper would protect a politician to protect the newspaper's* political ideology. And that just isn't how newspapers work. For a start they don't need to do that - most of them have been around hundreds of years and survived whoever is in charge. They don't need to prop up a government to survive.
*
Newspapers reflect their readers - The Sun famously switched allegiance every election to whichever party they think is going to win, rather than the party they want to win.

(Messed up the formatting btw - wasn't meant to be all in bold)

Fascinating thread, thanks OP.

What do you think is the future of gossip journalism? Now that so much more is online, and celebrities themselves have a more direct voice to the public these days via social media than they did even only 10 years ago, do you think this sort of journalism will still exist in its current form in a decade's time?

When they run celebrity diet stories "the true story of how Posh lost the baby weight" or eg Jennifer Aniston's fitness regime, how much are this is actually true and checked? I can imagine unlike other forms is gossip celebs probably don't give a monkey's if it's totally wrong?

Also - Prince William - my friend's friend (haha yes that old line) knows the woman in question and yes it apparently is All True.

I think one think to add about Farrah and JKR - Farrah could have stuck to running round his local park, but he chose to become a professional athlete in the full knowledge many professional athletes become celebrities.

Unbelievable. Self-serving delusion at its best.

• Oh come on now, OP...really? You don't really believe that crap you just spouted?
  Being excellent, and competitive doesn't equate to courting fame. JK shouldn't have tried to use her skill/ imagination to make a living?

Would you feel the same way if you became a popular journalist ( and who knows, you may be) and someone dug up dirt about you?

This is a great thread,but you don't appear to have any sort of regret ?*

It really isn't that easy to become famous. Look at all of those X Factor rejects (and even winners!) over the last 2 decades. PopIdol. The Apprentice. Love Island. Not to mention pop singers, dancers, writers. How many of them are still in the public eye?

For every Darcy Bussell how many ballerinas can you name? For every JK how many authors who are still alive? For every Tom Daley how many Olympic divers?

Those you can name are those who have courted publicity through interviews, TV appearances, sponsorship and advertising deals etc.

Equally I bet everyone of us knows someone who tried and failed to make it as an actor/singer/author whatever. It's extraordinarily hard to become famous.

If I courted publicity - tried to get an agent/to get on TV (a lot of journos do switch from print to broadcasting, like Piers Morgan, Julia HB etc)/did lots of interviews about myself/tried to build my Twitter following to hundreds of thousands of people - then yes I would be fair game.

And I have expressed regret in this thread - I think that was the first question!

Love thus thread. Having come across Anthony Head at Paddington he was perfectly lovely. I suspect celebrities react differently to journalists, too.
However, OP, I do agree with you about Reese, even though I love her acting!

I have a story worth a ton of cash but, I agree with you about courting publicity. No amount of money would be enough to lose my privacy or effect my family.

I do agree with OP on this one, I can think of numerous people who are famous for being at the top of their game in the arts, sports, etc but don't court publicity and therefore aren't tabloid-fodder.... i think it would be perfectly possibly for some of these people to live a relatively quiet life and focus on being excellent in their field, if they chose to.
I agree there are some incidents when it feels like an unfair pile-on (much like some threads on MN!) which isn't nice, but unless the beast is fed via a further comment/ social media etc it usually goes away quite quickly.

Can you explain a bit more about the privacy laws OP? I have always had the impression that the tabloids have carte blanche to print pretty much what they like (that they have evidence for) but from what you've said on this thread it doesn't seem to be the case. Is something 'being in the public interest' a factor too?

@Violetparis

Your tone is really unpleasant in your answer to what I thought was a reasonable question about politicians, I was asking about politicians in general not just the Conservatives.

Can’t see any issue with the OP’s tone; it is matter of fact and fair.

Brilliant AMA, thank you.

I noted at the time the juxtaposition of “family man” stories opposite the reporting of the SI and thought it very well played!

@Cavagirl

Fascinating thread, thanks OP.

What do you think is the future of gossip journalism? Now that so much more is online, and celebrities themselves have a more direct voice to the public these days via social media than they did even only 10 years ago, do you think this sort of journalism will still exist in its current form in a decade's time?

When they run celebrity diet stories "the true story of how Posh lost the baby weight" or eg Jennifer Aniston's fitness regime, how much are this is actually true and checked? I can imagine unlike other forms is gossip celebs probably don't give a monkey's if it's totally wrong?

Also - Prince William - my friend's friend (haha yes that old line) knows the woman in question and yes it apparently is All True.

It’s really difficult to tell where the industry is going. Obviously social media is ideal for celebs because they can control exactly what the public are seeing (and they can’t control newspapers) but audiences are becoming disillusioned with all the #sponcon etc and also they’re still at the mercy of the Algorithm (and social media’s T&Cs). There are also so many platforms now I think it’s hard for them to keep up and it divides the audience.

Where it leaves the media industry, it’s hard to tell. Things are obviously bad - more job losses, publications closing or going digital only (and I’ve made it clear how I feel about print vs web) but I think there is still a need and desire for a) gossip and b) objective journalism (by which I simply mean content not written by the person in question).

Re: celeb diets, it’s usually based in at least a kernel of truth. So Adele’s recent weight loss is a great example - after the slim pics came out everyone was trying to work out who her PT/coach was and they’ll then do interviews with that person or dig through their website/social media and extrapolate from that what they may have done with Adele.

I’ve interviewed celeb PTs before and obviously the advice is never groundbreaking and they also won’t talk about specific clients but from what they do say you can figure out what they may have done with a particular celebrity.

And then you’ll pad the article out with some filler, maybe taken from past interviews (“I always try and eat healthily!” she said in 2015) or something you can find on social media (“she loves snacking on avocados” because she once posted an Insta pic of an avocado).