The National Enquirer
From Metapedia
The National Enquirer (also commonly known as The Enquirer) is a national American supermarket tabloid published by American Media Inc (AMI). The paper is known for its articles focusing on celebrities. It makes no secret of the fact that it will pay sources for information, a practice officially frowned upon by the mainstream press. It has now dropped its famous catchphrase, "Enquiring minds want to know."
[edit] History
Founded in 1926 as The New York Enquirer, it was bought in 1952 by Generoso Pope Jr., allegedly with funds provided by Frank Costello. It has also been alleged that Costello provided the monies in exchange for the Enquirer's promise to list lottery numbers and to refrain from all mention of Mafia activities.[1]
In 1954, Pope revamped the format from a broadsheet to a tabloid, and changed the name to The National Enquirer. Pope worked tirelessly in the 1950s and 1960s to increase the circulation and broaden the tabloid's appeal. His greatest achiebement was pioneering the idea of selling magazines at supermarket checkouts. In 1971, Pope moved the headquarters from New York to Lantana, Florida. It later relocated south again; but this time only 15 miles to Boca Raton, Florida.
During most of the 1970s and 1980s, the National Enquirer sponsored the placement of the largest Christmas Tree in the world at its Lantana headquarters in what became an annual tradition. A tree was shipped in mid-autumn from the Pacific Northwest by rail and off-loaded by crane onto the adjacent National Enquirer property. Every night during the Christmas season, thousands of visitors would come to see the tree. This would grow into one of south Florida's most celebrated and spectacular events. Although tremendously expensive, this was Pope's "Pet Project" and his "Christmas present" to the local community. The tradition passed into history with his death in 1988.
By the time of Pope's death, the National Enquirer empire included Weekly World News, and Distribution Services, Inc. The surviving business interests, including Pope's widow, Lois, sold the company to a partnership of MacFadden Publishing and Boston Ventures for $412 million. Soon after, the company bought the Enquirer's main competition, The Star from Rupert Murdoch. The combined interests were controlled by a newly named company American Media Inc (AMI).
AMI was among the victims of the 2001 anthrax attacks; a photo editor of one of the Enquirer's sister publications died after opening an envelope containing anthrax spores. The entire AMI office complex in Boca Raton was closed and remains fenced off and quarantined to this day. AMI moved its headquarters to another building in the town.
