Russian interference. Piss-tape kompromat. Montenegrin fake news factories. Shadowy billionaires on both sides of the political divide trying to ignite a culture war. There’s been one hell of an elaborate backstory contrived to explain the shock result of the 2016 US election, but a look through the lens of the National Enquirer suggests that some of it may have been a little more straightforward.
The criminal underworld of New York, the closed corridors of Washington, the magazine industry of Florida. They’re all very interesting – no question about that – but these aren’t regular people we’ve been talking about here. For the National Enquirer to cut any sway with millions of average American Joes, things would have to change. They’d have to go corporate. Which is where American Media, Inc. comes into play.
While mob boss Frank Costello gave the National Enquirer a connection to the less-reputable elements of society, in order to become a truly powerful publication it would need someone to introduce the Enquirer to the established corridors of power. Someone with the ear of a senator, an attorney general, a president. Which is exactly what it had in the rather lumpy shape of Roy Cohn.
Since the Harvey Weinstein story broke, dozens of people have stepped up to denounce his behaviour. While it’s undeniably good to hear so many voices united against sexual assault, it’s important to make sure that we don’t wave through everyone that’s lining up to speak out – especially when our own industry is not without its problems…
We’ve never underestimated the power that celebrity and pop culture holds over us, but now that the delicate egos of the A-List are working their way into the actual corridors of power, the media is about to experience an unprecedented assault on its freedom – and from every possible direction.
Few expected Gawker to win its case against Hulk Hogan at the start of 2016 after they published clips from his sex tape, but nobody expected them to get obliterated. Gawker’s bankruptcy started a worrisome chain reaction for press freedom in the States – one which now goes right the way to the top…
The standout legal case in the British courts this year was PJS v News Group Newspapers. Olive oil sex parties were all that anyone could talk about back in April – but now that all the hubbub surrounding it has died down, the ruling in that case is casting a rather large shadow. One that is getting darker and darker…
The British Press and the Royal Family have enjoyed a rather fractious relationship over the years. While they seem to broadly respect the Queen and the heirs apparent, the rest of the Royal hangers-on seem to get a fairly rum deal. That could be about to change rather dramatically though…
Donald Trump. Donald Fucking Trump. Hoo boy, America! Buckle up…
So where do we go from here? How do we escape from this corner that we have apparently painted ourselves into? There’s too much at stake for us all to finally cede defeat to the celebrities and fall in line with whatever they want. Isn’t there?