The Newsmongers: A History of Tabloid Journalism

Tabloid journalism has had a colorful, gaudy history of sowing the seeds of the untrustworthy, harmful information that pervades the internet. Kirby (journalism, Univ. of London; The Trials of the Baroness) discusses the origins of tabloids in the UK. He explains the different types of tabloid journalism, such as “popular” journalism and the “yellow” journalism practiced in the States. While there were examples of tabloid journalism dating back to the printing press, the burgeoning of newspapers in the 19th century and the rise of the working class encouraged moguls, such as Alfred Harmsworth of the Daily Mail, to popularize the news for a mass market readership, rather than the highly educated upper crust. During the 20th century, especially with the rise of The Sun—which was part of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire—British tabloid news became even more prolific with its exaggerated headlines, spurious content, and celebrity scandals. To counter this, the Leveson Inquiry of 2011 held public hearings into the use of illegal and unethical newsgathering practices, such as those which arguably led to the death of Princess Diana.