The National Enquirer is a disgusting publication.

[MineralMan]

Really, it's using the 1st Amendment as a barely concealed extortion and blackmail scheme.

"Hello, notable person. This is the National Enquirer. We have recently received a story that might be embarrassing to you. We're planning to publish it in two weeks. A copy of the story is attached to this email. Please feel free to provide any information you wish in response. It is our practice always to provide subjects of stories with the story, before it is published."

"We don't like publishing such stories about prominent people, but have a responsibility to our readers to provide them with news and entertainment. If you believe this story might harm your reputation, we can discuss an arrangement that will compensate us for the cost of acquiring the story. In that case, we will hold the story and not publish it. We have an exclusive agreement by the author, who will be unable to present it to other publications."

"If you have any questions, you can contact us by calling the number at the end of this email. We'll be happy to discuss any arrangement you wish to make. However, time is, of course, of the essence in this matter. If we do not hear from you by a date one week before our publication date, we will be unable to adjust our schedule."

It's not quite that brazen, but almost. If you don't cooperate and come to an "arrangement" with the publication, they will, indeed, publish, whether the story is true or not. Vis: every Clinton story that ever appeared on the pages of that bogus rag.

[randr]

1. What is disgusting is that any one takes it seriously

It has been around my whole life. It always represented the dark side of humanity and I always saw it as a relief valve for all the crazy ideas that people like to share. It sort of exposed the crazy and in doing so diffused it.
Not so anymore in this world of non truth and lack of sane reasoning.

[Uncle Joe]

6. I believe this is directly related to the elimination of the Fairness Doctrine

which removed televised news from any obligation to balance.

It has been around my whole life. It always represented the dark side of humanity and I always saw it as a relief valve for all the crazy ideas that people like to share. It sort of exposed the crazy and in doing so diffused it.
Not so anymore in this world of non truth and lack of sane reasoning.

In an unbalanced world the unhinged will thrive.

[HipChick]

10. I believe the same segment of population that take it seriously..

also support Trump and believes everything that comes out his mouth...

[Cirque du So-What]

2. A perversion of journalism

Shame they've never been charged with blackmail.

[MineralMan]

5. They've been sued a number of times.

Usually, they win. They have a proven formula in court, apparently.

[Cirque du So-What]

7. I knew they'd been in court a lot

I assumed it was mostly for slander / libel (both torts). Like I said, shame they've never been charged with the crime of blackmail.

[MineralMan]

8. It's all very carefully managed to avoid actually doing that.

Smart lawyers.

[MineralMan]

12. When it comes to public figures, slander is hard to prove

in civil court. To win, the plantiff has to demonstrate active malice on the part of the publication. That's very difficult, and the Enquirer knows just how to defend against such lawsuits. That's why they pick on public figures, almost exclusively.

[SWBTATTReg]

3. This is the fake news that rump is harping about so much...

Good way to look at it, and does sound pretty feasible the way you put it. Perhaps if enough people sue these types of publications for publishing such outlandish articles that include false and harmful statements about people, they'll get shut down, but I doubt it, they seem to chug along fine, and get away w/ murder it seems like.

Perhaps in the name of being fair, the National E. will start publishing articles on rump, as many as it did on HRC (and probably Bernie S.).

For my part, I'll never buy one of these publications (any of them) nor ever advertise in them.

Thanks and take care.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

4. Water is wet. . . . nt

[Turbineguy]

9. I read it faithfully

while aging my wine.

While I'm in the supermarket checkout line.

[Books_Tea_Alone]

11. I refuse to shop in stores that carry it and let the mgmt. know

Buy my groceries from Aldi, Trader Joe’s and Wegman’s only. Never set foot in a Walmart or any supermarket or drugstore that carries it.