Jackie Danicki

Anyone who’s ever been interviewed for print or has read a mainstream press piece on a subject about which they know quite a lot is familiar with the sinking feeling associated with all the mistakes that often make it to publication. (Let’s leave aside the generalist journos who are entrusted to write insightful and smart articles about complex topics, and fail at least as much as they succeed.)

And this from a trade that has the cheek to consider themselves above the tabloid press. The most frequent target? The National Enquirer. But it turns out that the barbs could not be less well-aimed:

The Enquirer is the most thoroughly factchecked publication in its genre, unless you include People. Former NYT legal reporter David Margolick wrote, “it stands head and shoulders above them all for aggressiveness and accuracy.” The Enquirer has been all about the facts for 30 years now, ever since a major change in modus operandi after a series of libel charges and a damaging 60 Minutes exposé. You’ll probably sniff, “I don’t read it.” Then you don’t know what you’re talking about, do you?

Filed under: Life