Tabloid Journalism is Not Pulitzer-worthy

When I read that a story published in the National Enquirer was under consideration for a 2010 Pulitzer Prize in journalism I almost fell off of my chair. First published back in 1926, the supermarket tabloid is infamous for chasing down Elvis sightings and interviewing people allegedly abducted by aliens. The Enquirer was being considered in two categories for breaking a story about the extramarital affair of former democratic presidential candidate John Edwards.

In the opinion of this humble writer, personal scandals of the rich and famous have no place in legitimate journalism. Inappropriate behavior that compromises the trust of the American people may require the scrutiny of the press, but blatant voyeuristic sensationalism and investigative journalism are not equal, regardless of what gossip columnists and cable talk show hosts would have you believe.

This kind of reporting does nothing to benefit people. It simply reduces the public's confidence in the media. The Fourth Estate is meant to provide a public service that enriches the lives of the reader.

At this point, I should explain what a Pulitzer Prize is and how you get one. Joseph Pulitzer was a Hungarian immigrant who risked his health and sanity to become one of the foremost investigative journalists in history. Throughout his career, Pulitzer exposed a myriad of corruption and fraud in the government and private sectors alike.

In 1912, about a year after his death, The Columbia School of Journalism was founded and created the award for outstanding journalism bearing Pulitzer's name. The first Pulitzer Prizes were given in 1917 and now include categories ranging from journalism to drama.

To be considered for a Pulitzer you must submit a piece of work that fits one or more of the qualifying categories within the previous year. Unlike some other awards, the material does not have to be submitted by a third party. The writer or publisher can submit the piece as an entry just by filling out a form and paying the fee.

That certainly does nothing to diminish the effort and talent that goes into the material. But you still have to consider the purpose of the prize and the source of the submitted work. For example, in 1975, the staff of The Xenia Daily Gazette, my home town paper, won a well-deserved Pulitzer for coverage of the '74 tornado. To date, the Gazette is one of only 47 small daily newspapers to ever be honored with the award.

So, is the Edwards story prize-worthy? Since the category in which the story was entered recognizes investigative reporting with the purpose of exposing some potential risk to the public, I would say no. Revealing the Edwards scandal benefits no one but the publisher.

Regardless of what you might think of the people involved, these pieces of tabloid junk are not news at all but sensationalist garbage. The sad fact remains that this kind of material sells papers. Guess whose fault that is? Yours!

While most mainstream newspapers are struggling to stay in print, the National Enquirer has a paid circulation of just fewer than 800,000. The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and USA Today are the only publications with higher sales.

The tabloids would go away if people simply stopped buying them. I will never understand those who stand in the grocery store checkout and pick up one of these publications while passing up a local newspaper.

As someone who also had a piece up for a Pulitzer this year, I think I would have broken all my pencils and smashed my laptop if the Enquirer had actually won. How in the name of Horace Greeley can any of what they write be taken seriously when they have spent the better part of a century publishing tripe.

In all sincerity, when the reporters at the Enquirer finally deliver that alien baby or bring The King back to Vegas for one final show, I'll go to their office personally and hand them the Pulitzer. Until then, I think we should save papers like that for the bottom of the birdcage.

Columnist Gery L. Deer is an independent writer based in Jamestown, Ohio. To read more, visit www.gerydeer.com.