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)

@PoppySeedSaid

Did you ever meet Reese Witherspoon or Dolly Parton? I always think the come over as genuine nice people. Please tell me I'm not wrong.

Sadly I did not meet either but I get a very different vibe from Reese - there's the footage of her making fun of Cara Delevigne's name at the Met Ball a few years ago and also her rant about "do you know who I am" when she (or her husband maybe) got pulled over for drink driving

Really entertaining thread, thanks for posting!

@craggymaggie

Did you find you were alert to news stories even when you were off duty? Would you phone a colleague and tip them off if you discovered something salacious in your down time, or would you write it up yourself and submit it?

Yes to both! I'm sure this will make me extremely unpopular here but I was once at dinner when I saw a celeb in the restaurant and I called the picture desk to tell them to send a photographer. I don't think they did though!

Why do journalists feel the need to camp outside the houses of recently bereaved families of normal people and not respect their wishes for privacy? This has happened recently where I live after publishing a quite frankly disgusting headline about a tragic accident.

@Laaalaaaa

Why do journalists feel the need to camp outside the houses of recently bereaved families of normal people and not respect their wishes for privacy? This has happened recently where I live after publishing a quite frankly disgusting headline about a tragic accident.

Tbh stuff like this was one of the reasons I was initially put off by journalism and pursued another career.

It's hard to justify. What I will say is that, particularly with the Internet and how the industry is going generally, there is incredible pressure to be first with a story or a development in a story. That doesn't make it right but it is reality.

Secondly, there is a lot more consideration now of subjects of stories - especially those who've lost loved ones - than there has been before and if the family put out a notice asking not to be doorstepped this would usually be sent round the newsroom, at least at my publication, so everyone was aware it was off limits.

Is mark owen really nice? Terrible cheating aside obviously lol

Fascinating thread, thank you!

My question is about the recent DM pictures from BJ's holiday that various people are saying are faked. What do you think about this? Would pictures on that scale be faked by a paper (either completely staged, or pictures of something else attributed to the Boris holiday)? Do you think his people set up the tent and then phoned the mail to try to demonstrate his camping?!

In the case of injunctions, there are often stories published around the rumoured people involved. Is this to “give us clues” or just coincidence? The stories are normally none stories that wouldn’t normally get ink

@iamtheoneandonlyyy

Is mark owen really nice? Terrible cheating aside obviously lol

Never met him sadly! I feel I'm letting down people with this thread and its lack of name-dropping.

Here's some I met/came across at events:

Ruth Wilson - rude
Matt Damon - lovely
Liam 1D - polite
Ellie Goulding - snobby
Millie Mackintosh - rude
Little Mix - rude (wouldn't let anyone else in the lift with them when we were leaving a party at the same time )

@prisscalledwanda

Fascinating thread, thank you!

My question is about the recent DM pictures from BJ's holiday that various people are saying are faked. What do you think about this? Would pictures on that scale be faked by a paper (either completely staged, or pictures of something else attributed to the Boris holiday)? Do you think his people set up the tent and then phoned the mail to try to demonstrate his camping?!

So I have no specific insight into those pics (as I said am out of the loop) but theoretically yeah, someone at Downing St could have set the whole thing up, called up 1 photographer to come and take some pics and then the photographer sells them to a picture desk.

It doesn't need to be a bigger conspiracy than that (ie the paper is "in on it" or whatever).

Thank you! Could the DM have made the whole thing up ie published pictures of a tent and cottage that has nothing to do with Boris? Or would that get them in trouble? Thank you again

@beaverbill

In the case of injunctions, there are often stories published around the rumoured people involved. Is this to “give us clues” or just coincidence? The stories are normally none stories that wouldn’t normally get ink

Definitely. There's an actor a few years ago who got a super injunction about sleeping with prostitutes and whenever we write about him we would always drop in stuff that - if you knew about the SI - would make it seem really sarcastic, usually by referring to characters he'd played. So for eg "X, best known for playing a wholesome family man in XX, was spotted yesterday on holiday with his wife."

Without naming names (unless you want to ), what’s the most shocking story you’ve heard about a celebrity?

@prisscalledwanda

Thank you! Could the DM have made the whole thing up ie published pictures of a tent and cottage that has nothing to do with Boris? Or would that get them in trouble? Thank you again

I don't think a paper would ever risk its reputation like that. I know those of you that think tabloids (especially the DM) are the devil's work but they seriously adhere to all legal and regulatory standards - as well as generally building themselves up to be the most accurate/swift/in-the-know and it would just absolutely destroy their reputation with readers if it ever came up they'd participated in something like that.

You can see how much of a pasting they get when they print genuine mistakes.

I knew it! Thanks for confirming. Great thread.

@OhhhPeee

Without naming names (unless you want to ), what’s the most shocking story you’ve heard about a celebrity?

I haven't heard anything completely insane that I can think of - no sex dungeons or anything like that.

I suppose the most salacious one I heard was (and I have to make this as vague as poss plus remind you it's completely uncorroborated (but seemed believable)) - a certain well-known person slept with his well-known daughter's friend(s) which is why she barely speaks to him.

To what extent are pap photos pre-arranged with the “oblivious” celebrity? How much would, say, Lauren Goodger or Caprice or someone get for being papped? Would the photographers give them any direction as to what to do?

Oh actually another shocking one (well I found it shocking) was that a well-known actor slept with a certain showbiz reporter I don't know if I believe that one though.

(Just to clarify it wasn't me it was another reporter I vaguely knew but not sure if she was winding me up. He was proper A List)

Thank you, this is so interesting! Last one from me, honest! Which journalists and media outlets do you respect and trust?

One story that fascinated me recently was in relation to a very well known tv presenter who came out on TV. It didn't take much digging on the internet to realise there was a massive and far from salubrious back story that was obviously being covered up. There were massive hints via stories in the press and even from other celebs and yet it never actually broke and seemed to suddenly fade away. I wondered at the time if there was a super injunction in place. I'd be intrigued to know your opinion on what was going on there!

@OhhhPeee

To what extent are pap photos pre-arranged with the “oblivious” celebrity? How much would, say, Lauren Goodger or Caprice or someone get for being papped? Would the photographers give them any direction as to what to do?

I did actually once walk past a Z-list celebrity bring "papped" - she was repeatedly walking to and fro with a coffee cup in her hand while he snapped away and then he put down the camera and they walked off together - and it was on the Sidebar of Shame the next day.

I honestly think it varies. It can be anything from a direct transaction where the celeb and photographer split the fees (I think that's what Meghan's dad did before the wedding) to just a tip off from the celeb's PR so they know there are good pics in the papers the next day.

The truth is I don't have any first hand knowledge of it though (beyond what I've seen/heard) because I rarely dealt with photogs and even when I did I doubt they'd tell me if they had an arrangement with the celeb.

@OhhhPeee

Thank you, this is so interesting! Last one from me, honest! Which journalists and media outlets do you respect and trust?

Great question. Most significantly, I trust print over web and that goes for every publication, both in the UK and US. It's reflected in fees (print pays better) and quality - while some of the stuff on the DM website is unreadable the print edition is always really well-written and often has better stories.

In terms of fact-checking, US (print) magazines are the absolutely most trust-worthy, more so even than books (which don't get fact-checked at all ). So The Atlantic, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair etc.

But again, most have an editorial bias and it's knowing what it is and being able to see past it (eg compare "X claimed something" versus "X said something" - "claimed" and "said" seem interchangeable but the former is used to cast doubt on someone's statement whereas the other presents it as fact).

Great thread!

Please tell me that Anthony Head and Michael Palin really are as lovely as they seem.

@lolawasashowgirl

One story that fascinated me recently was in relation to a very well known tv presenter who came out on TV. It didn't take much digging on the internet to realise there was a massive and far from salubrious back story that was obviously being covered up. There were massive hints via stories in the press and even from other celebs and yet it never actually broke and seemed to suddenly fade away. I wondered at the time if there was a super injunction in place. I'd be intrigued to know your opinion on what was going on there!

I know exactly what you're talking about I'm also flabbergasted it didn't go anyway. As I say I haven't been in the loop for a while now but possible reasons are:

• the other person's age (being on the younger side)
• that other person denied it or didn't want to come forward (eg could have signed an NDA/been paid off)
• it would have been impossible to run that story without outing that younger person so if he claimed he wasn't publicly out no one could run it

The privacy laws in this country are actually very strong so I suspect one of the above basically cut it dead.