Podcasts > The Daily > The Sunday Read: ‘What I Saw Working at The National Enquirer During Donald Trump’s Rise’

The Sunday Read: ‘What I Saw Working at The National Enquirer During Donald Trump’s Rise’

By The New York Times

In this episode of The Daily, the spotlight is on the National Enquirer's inner workings during Donald Trump's rise to power. Revelations from a former insider paint a picture of unethical practices at the tabloid, including propagating false narratives against Trump's political adversaries while suppressing unfavorable stories about Trump himself.

The Enquirer, under CEO David Pecker's direction, strategically disseminated fabricated content, doctored images, and exaggerated stories aimed at discrediting figures like Hillary Clinton, Ted Cruz, and Marco Rubio. But the tabloid went further, engaging in a "catch-and-kill" strategy where it purchased and concealed potentially damaging information about Trump. This episode delves into the crucial role the Enquirer played in influencing public perception during the 2016 election.

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The Sunday Read: ‘What I Saw Working at The National Enquirer During Donald Trump’s Rise’

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The Sunday Read: ‘What I Saw Working at The National Enquirer During Donald Trump’s Rise’

1-Page Summary

Shady inner workings of the National Enquirer during the 2016 election

The National Enquirer, under the direction of CEO David Pecker, strategically propagated false narratives against Donald Trump's political adversaries while simultaneously suppressing unfavorable stories about Trump himself. This manifested during the 2016 election with fabricated headlines and stories, particularly targeting Hillary Clinton and fellow Republicans like Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio.

The publication featured a mixture of falsified content and exaggerated stories, including a fabricated exclusive written by Trump, misleading claims about Chelsea Clinton's paternity, doctored images, and spurious allegations regarding Hillary Clinton's health. The tabloid also attempted to link Ted Cruz to an extramarital affair scandal and his father to a historical conspiracy, all without substantiated evidence.

Pecker explicitly instructed the National Enquirer's staff to act in Trump's favor, positioning the tabloid as a strategic asset to the Trump campaign. This involved avoiding digging into Trump's past despite maintaining a comprehensive archive, in stark contrast to the extensive search for detrimental content on Clinton.

Additionally, the organization engaged in a "catch-and-kill" practice, where they would purchase stories from individuals making accusations against Trump only to conceal the information. Notably, the accusations from Karen McDougal and Dino Sajudin, regarding an alleged affair with Trump and a secret child respectively, were bought by the Enquirer but never published.

David Linski, a former insider at the Enquirer, expresses regret for his contributions to these unethical practices. Acknowledging his failure to resist orders and the role he played in biased reporting, Linski now seeks redemption by exposing the Enquirer's operations. Despite personal risks, he provided information to journalists with the aim of bringing transparency to the media influence on the election.

1-Page Summary

Additional Materials

Clarifications

  • The "catch-and-kill" practice is a strategy where a publication buys the rights to a story to prevent it from being published elsewhere, effectively burying the information. In this context, the National Enquirer would acquire stories that could be damaging to individuals like Donald Trump but choose not to publish them, keeping the details confidential and out of the public eye. This tactic allows the publication to control potentially damaging narratives by purchasing them and then shelving the stories, ensuring they never see the light of day.
  • Karen McDougal was a former Playboy model who alleged having an affair with Donald Trump. The National Enquirer bought the rights to her story but never published it, a practice known as "catch-and-kill." Dino Sajudin claimed he had information about Trump fathering a child with a former employee, which the Enquirer also bought but did not publish. These cases highlight the tabloid's role in acquiring potentially damaging stories about Trump and keeping them from public view.
  • David Linski was a former insider at the National Enquirer who played a role in the tabloid's unethical practices during the 2016 election. He expressed regret for his involvement in biased reporting and unethical operations of the publication. Linski provided information to journalists to expose the inner workings of the Enquirer and shed light on its manipulation of media influence during the election. His actions aimed to bring transparency to the questionable practices of the tabloid and its impact on the political landscape.

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The Sunday Read: ‘What I Saw Working at The National Enquirer During Donald Trump’s Rise’

Shady inner workings of the National Enquirer during the 2016 election

The National Enquirer engaged in a strategy involving releasing falsehoods against Donald Trump's political rivals while suppressing negative stories about Trump, orchestrated by the publication’s higher-ups, including CEO David Pecker.

The Enquirer targeting Trump's rivals with false stories to help Trump win

During the 2016 election, the Enquirer targeted Trump's rivals with false and exaggerated stories. Editorial discussions included chatter about targeting not just Hillary Clinton but also Republican candidates like Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio. Notably, the tabloid ran headlines like "Why I am the only choice for president. Exclusive. Donald Trump writes for the Enquirer." The article wasn't actually penned by Trump but was cobbled together, with its contents approved by Trump’s lawyer, Michael Cohen.

They also ran stories questioning who Chelsea Clinton's real dad was, claiming exclusive DNA test results. However, their attempts to collect her DNA were unsuccessful, publishing the story with inconclusive results from a pen she used. They doctored images and pushed false narratives about Hillary Clinton, including headlines like "Hillary, six months to live" with quotes from unreliable sources.

For Ted Cruz, the Enquirer ran a story suggesting he had five secret mistresses and was linked to a Madam's Black Book. They ran another cover story attempting to link Cruz's father, Rafael, to the assassination of John F. Kennedy, based on a grainy photo.

AMI CEO David Pecker ordering staff to help Trump using the Enquirer

The Enquirer's staff was ordered to act in the interest of Trump's campaign. David Pecker told the staff that the Enquirer would serve as the "eyes and ears" for the Trump campaign. Along with editor Dylan Howard, Pecker sought to help Trump by burying any negative stories about him. This was evident as the Enquirer maintained a significant archive on Trump, which, unlike Clinton's files, wasn't actively searched for detrimental content.

The Enquirer's "catch-and-kill" scheme to silence Trump accusers

The Enquirer engaged in a "catch-and-kill" strategy, where the publication would buy off sources to prevent the release of damaging Trump allegations. For instance, a former Playboy playmate, Karen McDougal, claimed to have had an affair with Trump, and the Enquirer bought her story but did not publish it.

Another story involved a claim by a former Trump World Tower doorman, Dino Sajudin, alleging Trump fathered a secret child. The Enquirer signed a contract with Sajudin for $30,000 if they ran his story, which they never published. Despite failing a credibility assessment, the Enquirer paid him the promised amount but included a stipulation for a $1 million damage fee if Sajudin disclosed the story elsewhere.

My mistakes enabling a corrupt tabloid to influence a president ...

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Shady inner workings of the National Enquirer during the 2016 election

Additional Materials

Clarifications

  • American Media, Inc. (AMI) is a media company that owns publications like the National Enquirer. AMI has been involved in various controversies, including allegations of using its publications to influence political narratives and protect certain individuals. In the context of the text, AMI's CEO, David Pecker, played a significant role in directing the National Enquirer's editorial stance during the 2016 election to benefit Donald Trump.
  • A "catch-and-kill" strategy is when a publication buys the rights to a story with the intention of never publishing it, effectively silencing the information. This tactic is often used to prevent damaging or scandalous stories from becoming public knowledge. In the case of the National Enquirer, they employed this strategy to suppress stories that could harm Donald Trump's reputation, such as allegations of affairs or other misconduct. The publication would pay sources for their stories but then choose not to run the articles, keeping the information hidden from the public eye.
  • A burner phone is a prepaid mobile phone often used for temporary or anonymous communication. It is typically used to maintain privacy or avoid being tracked. Burner phones are commonly associated with activities where anonymity is desired, such as whistleblowing or illicit activities. They can be discarded after use to prevent tracing back to the user.
  • Ronan Farrow is an American journalist known for his investigative reporting on high-profile cases, including allegations against Harvey Weinstein. He played a significant role in exposing misconduct through his work with publications like The New Yorker. Farrow's reporting has garnered critical acclaim, including a Pulitzer Prize for Public Service in 2018.
  • David Linski was a figure at the National Enquirer who reflected on his involvement in the tabloid's unethical practices during the 2016 election. He expressed regret for his role in guiding reporters to pursue questionable stories and failing to resist unethical directives from higher-ups. Linski later became a source for journalists, i ...

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