1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:07,000 Downloaded from YTS.MX 2 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:13,000 Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX 3 00:00:20,007 --> 00:00:23,022 (static) 4 00:00:32,016 --> 00:00:36,011 in terms of the realm of popular culture... 5 00:00:38,005 --> 00:00:41,001 rather than in the realm of journalism. 6 00:00:42,002 --> 00:00:46,007 I think this is a bad time, not just for the press... 7 00:00:49,002 --> 00:00:52,002 but it's a bad time for the truth. 8 00:00:52,017 --> 00:00:55,015 - ♪ I just want to start ♪ - ♪ I just want to start ♪ 9 00:00:55,017 --> 00:00:58,016 - ♪ A flame in your heart ♪ - ♪ A flame in your heart ♪ 10 00:01:04,026 --> 00:01:11,006 ♪ I don't want to set The world on fire ♪ 11 00:01:11,023 --> 00:01:15,005 ♪ I just want to start ♪ 12 00:01:15,007 --> 00:01:18,012 ♪ A flame in your heart ♪ 13 00:01:20,011 --> 00:01:26,013 ♪ In my heart, I have but one desire ♪ 14 00:01:27,002 --> 00:01:32,028 ♪ And that one is you No other will do ♪ 15 00:01:33,004 --> 00:01:34,011 ♪ Ba, da, da ♪ 16 00:01:35,021 --> 00:01:37,013 ♪ I've lost all ambition ♪ 17 00:01:37,019 --> 00:01:39,008 ♪ For worldly acclaim ♪ 18 00:01:39,016 --> 00:01:43,007 ♪ I just want to be The one you love ♪ 19 00:01:43,009 --> 00:01:46,029 ♪ And with your admission That you'd feel the same ♪ 20 00:01:47,005 --> 00:01:51,003 ♪ I'll have reached the goal I'm dreaming of, believe me ♪ 21 00:01:51,005 --> 00:01:53,008 - ♪ In my heart ♪ - ♪ In my heart ♪ 22 00:01:53,010 --> 00:01:58,009 - ♪ I have but one desire ♪ - ♪ I have but one desire ♪ 23 00:01:58,028 --> 00:02:01,010 - ♪ That one is you ♪ - ♪ That one is you ♪ 24 00:02:01,012 --> 00:02:03,028 - ♪ No other will do ♪ - ♪ No other will do ♪ 25 00:02:14,019 --> 00:02:18,007 Lantana, Florida, population 7,126, 26 00:02:18,009 --> 00:02:19,020 according to the last census, 27 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:22,026 an undistinguished South Florida town on U.S. One 28 00:02:23,006 --> 00:02:25,013 about ten miles south of Palm Beach, Florida, 29 00:02:25,015 --> 00:02:28,008 an unlikely place, you'd think, to be the home 30 00:02:28,010 --> 00:02:30,007 of one of America's most successful 31 00:02:30,009 --> 00:02:31,021 publishing enterprises, 32 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:33,013 and yet Lantana, Florida, 33 00:02:33,015 --> 00:02:36,005 is the home of the National Enquirer. 34 00:02:37,024 --> 00:02:41,013 Generoso Pope Jr., a transplanted New Yorker, 35 00:02:41,029 --> 00:02:47,005 Godfather of this magazine, journal, newspaper. 36 00:02:52,015 --> 00:02:55,007 Calder: Gene Pope was a force of nature. 37 00:02:57,002 --> 00:03:00,003 Virga: He knew what he wanted to do, and it was that paper, 38 00:03:00,005 --> 00:03:02,005 and he wanted to sell the most papers 39 00:03:02,007 --> 00:03:03,020 of anybody in the world. 40 00:03:04,012 --> 00:03:07,021 Regan: Generoso Pope very cleverly identified 41 00:03:08,001 --> 00:03:11,029 a way to communicate with mass-market America. 42 00:03:12,026 --> 00:03:16,017 How he communicated it was studied by others, 43 00:03:16,024 --> 00:03:18,012 adopted by others, 44 00:03:18,027 --> 00:03:22,005 which set the stage for what was to come. 45 00:03:24,006 --> 00:03:25,021 Wallace: And you know as well as I do 46 00:03:25,023 --> 00:03:27,011 that there are allegations 47 00:03:27,027 --> 00:03:30,021 that Mafia money has been behind the Enquirer 48 00:03:30,023 --> 00:03:32,020 - since the beginning. - Right. I've heard. 49 00:03:32,022 --> 00:03:33,028 I've read that. 50 00:03:35,015 --> 00:03:40,003 Calder: Generoso Pope Jr. was the son of Generoso Pope. 51 00:03:42,022 --> 00:03:45,025 Gene Pope was born into privilege. 52 00:03:45,027 --> 00:03:48,011 His father owned Il Progresso, 53 00:03:48,017 --> 00:03:50,027 an Italian-language paper in New York. 54 00:03:51,022 --> 00:03:52,028 Because of that, 55 00:03:53,007 --> 00:03:55,014 he was a huge political figure in America. 56 00:03:56,008 --> 00:03:59,006 Gene was a child prodigy in many ways. 57 00:03:59,008 --> 00:04:03,023 I mean, at 16, he was helping to runIl Progresso. 58 00:04:06,007 --> 00:04:07,014 His father became 59 00:04:07,022 --> 00:04:10,005 one of the most powerful guys in New York. 60 00:04:10,007 --> 00:04:13,009 He pretty much controlled the Italian vote. 61 00:04:14,002 --> 00:04:17,014 Along the way, he became a made guy in the Mafia. 62 00:04:20,007 --> 00:04:23,009 When his father died, Gene was the heir apparent 63 00:04:23,011 --> 00:04:25,024 to taking over the newspaper his father owned. 64 00:04:26,008 --> 00:04:28,008 Pope III: Il Progresso was not the kind of newspaper 65 00:04:28,010 --> 00:04:29,012 he wanted to do. 66 00:04:29,028 --> 00:04:33,018 He wanted to form a newspaper in his own image 67 00:04:33,020 --> 00:04:36,004 just like his father had done it. 68 00:04:36,020 --> 00:04:38,020 Calder: He wanted to buy theNew York Enquirer, 69 00:04:38,022 --> 00:04:42,021 which was a crappy little pape, mainly racing and sports, 70 00:04:42,023 --> 00:04:44,024 but he needed 75,000 to buy it. 71 00:04:45,018 --> 00:04:48,007 Believe it or not, Gene Pope's real Godfather 72 00:04:48,014 --> 00:04:50,017 was the Godfather, Frank Costello, 73 00:04:50,019 --> 00:04:52,023 who was a big guy in the mob obviously. 74 00:04:53,003 --> 00:04:54,016 Pope III: That's where he got the money, 75 00:04:54,018 --> 00:04:57,003 and it was an interest-free loan. Why? 76 00:04:57,005 --> 00:04:58,019 Because he was like family. 77 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:00,013 It's a very Italian thing. 78 00:05:00,019 --> 00:05:02,026 And that was the start of the Enquirer. 79 00:05:04,015 --> 00:05:07,005 Sternig: He immediately put the word National on it. 80 00:05:09,009 --> 00:05:11,015 He envisioned publishing 81 00:05:11,024 --> 00:05:14,014 mounds and mounds and mounds of National Enquirers. 82 00:05:14,016 --> 00:05:18,001 He was looking for something to sell more copies. 83 00:05:18,015 --> 00:05:19,024 ♪ You're fine ♪ 84 00:05:20,003 --> 00:05:23,029 ♪ I want you to be mine, oh ♪ 85 00:05:24,001 --> 00:05:27,010 Calder: One day, he was driving on one of the New York highways, 86 00:05:27,018 --> 00:05:30,016 and there was an accident ahea, and everybody slowed down. 87 00:05:30,018 --> 00:05:32,002 They're all rubbernecking, 88 00:05:32,004 --> 00:05:33,028 and they're looking at the side of the road. 89 00:05:34,001 --> 00:05:35,024 Pope III: And he looked at the crowd, and he saw 90 00:05:35,026 --> 00:05:38,025 all these people staring at a really gory scene. 91 00:05:38,027 --> 00:05:42,007 ♪ I think you're swell ♪ 92 00:05:44,010 --> 00:05:46,024 ♪ Come close ♪ 93 00:05:47,026 --> 00:05:49,004 ♪ Hold... ♪ 94 00:05:49,016 --> 00:05:50,014 Calder: He went, "My God, nobody's doing pictures 95 00:05:50,016 --> 00:05:51,025 of that." 96 00:05:52,015 --> 00:05:53,025 He suddenly realized, 97 00:05:54,027 --> 00:05:58,012 "This is what I have to do. I got to make a gore rag." 98 00:05:59,016 --> 00:06:02,023 So what he did is that he went to the police department. 99 00:06:02,025 --> 00:06:04,014 He basically got first dibs 100 00:06:04,016 --> 00:06:06,024 on the photography of these horrible accidents, 101 00:06:06,026 --> 00:06:08,011 and that's how it started. 102 00:06:08,027 --> 00:06:11,003 I got to tell you, when I first saw it, 103 00:06:11,005 --> 00:06:12,021 sometimes it was hard to pick up. 104 00:06:13,005 --> 00:06:15,020 ♪ Come close ♪ 105 00:06:16,018 --> 00:06:19,007 ♪ Hold me tight ♪ 106 00:06:19,027 --> 00:06:22,022 ♪ Send me ♪ 107 00:06:22,028 --> 00:06:26,021 ♪ Tonight and every night ♪ 108 00:06:27,028 --> 00:06:29,004 ♪ You're slick ♪ 109 00:06:29,006 --> 00:06:31,003 But circulation went up dramatically. 110 00:06:31,005 --> 00:06:34,025 It took off, but it was a little uncomfortable. 111 00:06:34,027 --> 00:06:38,016 He realized that gore was only gonna take him so far. 112 00:06:38,018 --> 00:06:41,018 (stammers) Circulation peaked at one million, 113 00:06:41,028 --> 00:06:44,010 but he dreamed actually of 20 million, 114 00:06:44,012 --> 00:06:46,014 which, of course, was insane. 115 00:06:47,018 --> 00:06:49,006 (girl giggles) 116 00:06:53,012 --> 00:06:55,001 Calder: By the mid-'60s, 117 00:06:55,003 --> 00:06:57,029 many, many people were moving to the suburbs, 118 00:06:58,006 --> 00:07:00,009 so they weren't stopping at newsstands, 119 00:07:00,011 --> 00:07:02,000 and the idea was, 120 00:07:02,002 --> 00:07:03,026 "We've got to get it in front of more people." 121 00:07:03,028 --> 00:07:05,016 Well, where are the people? 122 00:07:05,018 --> 00:07:07,011 narrator: There is madness in the marketplace. 123 00:07:07,013 --> 00:07:08,018 Just listen to this. 124 00:07:08,029 --> 00:07:12,004 - (cash register dings) - We zeroed in on supermarkets 125 00:07:12,006 --> 00:07:14,008 as the one area where I suppose 126 00:07:14,010 --> 00:07:17,006 some member of every family unt in the United States 127 00:07:17,008 --> 00:07:18,020 comes once a week at least. 128 00:07:19,007 --> 00:07:21,026 Calder: He wanted to be racks at the front end 129 00:07:21,028 --> 00:07:24,018 of every checkout counter in the United States. 130 00:07:24,024 --> 00:07:28,003 People told him, "Great idea, but you can't do this. 131 00:07:28,015 --> 00:07:31,017 A gore paper, how could that get into supermarkets?" 132 00:07:31,019 --> 00:07:33,002 People would throw up 133 00:07:33,014 --> 00:07:34,028 just at a time when they were about to buy milk, you know? 134 00:07:35,007 --> 00:07:36,024 It was totally impossible. 135 00:07:37,002 --> 00:07:38,012 So we drastically 136 00:07:38,014 --> 00:07:41,000 in one fell swoop eliminated all the gore. 137 00:07:41,002 --> 00:07:42,012 From the moment he started, 138 00:07:42,014 --> 00:07:44,023 he never stopped playing with it, 139 00:07:44,025 --> 00:07:48,001 trying to change the format to find the winning formula. 140 00:07:48,003 --> 00:07:50,013 Wallace: In came headlines like these. 141 00:07:50,015 --> 00:07:51,026 Calder: Celebrity news. 142 00:07:52,005 --> 00:07:53,009 Regan: Gossip items. 143 00:07:53,018 --> 00:07:56,006 - Wright: Dogs. Pets. - Virga: Diets. 144 00:07:56,008 --> 00:07:59,023 - Regan: Medical-oddity stories. - Virga: Psychic stories. 145 00:08:00,010 --> 00:08:03,002 I happened to discover that Jimmy Carter 146 00:08:03,004 --> 00:08:05,009 had once seen a UFO. 147 00:08:09,010 --> 00:08:10,020 Wright: Gee-whiz stories. 148 00:08:11,004 --> 00:08:13,028 We did one on making cars out of lobsters. 149 00:08:14,013 --> 00:08:15,024 We had some guy called up 150 00:08:15,026 --> 00:08:17,008 wanting to know where he could buy one. 151 00:08:17,025 --> 00:08:20,028 Calder: Our headlines, our pictures, our front page, 152 00:08:21,001 --> 00:08:24,000 and all of them had to be a triggering mechanim 153 00:08:24,002 --> 00:08:25,024 to get people's attention first, 154 00:08:25,026 --> 00:08:27,017 and if they liked what they saw, they bought it. 155 00:08:28,016 --> 00:08:31,022 Regan: Generoso Pope really understood the psycholoy 156 00:08:31,024 --> 00:08:33,014 of the average American person. 157 00:08:33,016 --> 00:08:36,000 He used to call the reader of the National Enquirer 158 00:08:36,002 --> 00:08:37,024 Missy Smith in Kansas City. 159 00:08:38,019 --> 00:08:40,028 Wright: She was the standard by which every story 160 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:43,012 in the National Enquirer was judged. 161 00:08:43,014 --> 00:08:44,027 man: The basic American woman. 162 00:08:44,029 --> 00:08:48,008 Regan: She was somebody who had family values, 163 00:08:48,010 --> 00:08:51,013 who loves stories, loves celebrities 164 00:08:51,015 --> 00:08:55,006 and wanted to know essentially that celebrities suffered, too. 165 00:08:55,013 --> 00:08:57,018 Coz: Mrs. Smith goes to the beauty parlor, 166 00:08:57,020 --> 00:08:59,005 talks to her girlfriends. 167 00:08:59,007 --> 00:09:02,005 They're all chatting about celebrities. 168 00:09:02,013 --> 00:09:03,025 Dolly Parton is depressed, 169 00:09:03,027 --> 00:09:05,029 or Elizabeth Taylor got fat again 170 00:09:06,001 --> 00:09:07,011 and can't find love. 171 00:09:07,017 --> 00:09:09,023 She would go, 'Ugh," and have to read all about it. 172 00:09:09,025 --> 00:09:11,021 We were Missy Smith in Kansas City. 173 00:09:11,023 --> 00:09:13,004 I guess I'm a little nosy. 174 00:09:13,006 --> 00:09:14,024 We were Missy Smith in Yonkers. 175 00:09:14,026 --> 00:09:17,029 They can't print something in there that's not true. 176 00:09:18,001 --> 00:09:19,028 We were Missy Smith everywhere. 177 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:21,014 I just enjoy the headlines. 178 00:09:21,016 --> 00:09:24,012 She was our boss. She could make or break us. 179 00:09:27,005 --> 00:09:28,017 (gunshots fired) 180 00:09:35,016 --> 00:09:38,022 Coz: Missy Smith has had a long week at work. 181 00:09:39,002 --> 00:09:42,001 She gets herNational Enquirer. She goes home. 182 00:09:42,003 --> 00:09:44,022 She has a bath. She has a glass of wine, 183 00:09:44,024 --> 00:09:47,016 and she sits down and enjoys herself. 184 00:09:47,018 --> 00:09:49,006 I feel a great sadness... 185 00:09:50,004 --> 00:09:52,004 that I will not be here in this office 186 00:09:52,011 --> 00:09:55,007 working on your behalf to achieve those hopes 187 00:09:55,009 --> 00:09:56,028 in the next two and a half years. 188 00:09:57,016 --> 00:10:00,001 Wright: TheEnquirer was a nice window 189 00:10:00,003 --> 00:10:02,020 to look through, a pleasant place to go 190 00:10:03,000 --> 00:10:05,022 after the harsher news in the real world. 191 00:10:07,020 --> 00:10:11,005 (crowd clamoring) 192 00:10:12,015 --> 00:10:14,016 male reporter: Guns, ammunition, explosives 193 00:10:14,018 --> 00:10:16,005 and at least one pipe bomb. 194 00:10:16,014 --> 00:10:20,007 - (explosion) - (siren wailing) 195 00:10:20,009 --> 00:10:23,025 Brenna: I don't think Pope wanted the outside world 196 00:10:23,027 --> 00:10:26,020 to spill over into theEnquirer. 197 00:10:26,022 --> 00:10:28,019 Our philosophy, I guess you'd call it, 198 00:10:28,027 --> 00:10:32,015 is basically that, in all the other media, 199 00:10:32,025 --> 00:10:35,014 the people are getting all the bad news today. 200 00:10:36,011 --> 00:10:38,021 They're getting swamped with it, inundated with it, 201 00:10:38,023 --> 00:10:40,014 and I think they've just about had it. 202 00:10:40,023 --> 00:10:42,011 I think they're searching for something 203 00:10:42,013 --> 00:10:44,021 that's gonna tell them there's a good side to life. 204 00:10:44,023 --> 00:10:46,005 Everything isn't bad. 205 00:10:48,013 --> 00:10:50,011 Haley: Pope was a conservative man. 206 00:10:50,018 --> 00:10:51,026 Was he a Republican or Democrat? 207 00:10:51,028 --> 00:10:53,016 I never knew. I could never tell. 208 00:10:53,018 --> 00:10:55,001 Uh, he was a Democrat. 209 00:10:55,010 --> 00:10:57,008 I never knew him to be anything but that. 210 00:10:57,019 --> 00:10:59,004 Brenna: But he wasn't somebody 211 00:10:59,006 --> 00:11:01,007 who was interested in getting elected 212 00:11:01,009 --> 00:11:03,010 or having a hand in Washington. 213 00:11:03,020 --> 00:11:05,013 Uh, that wasn't his bag. 214 00:11:07,011 --> 00:11:10,004 Because he came from a rich Italian family, 215 00:11:10,010 --> 00:11:11,029 which was Mafia-related. 216 00:11:12,006 --> 00:11:14,015 The only connection to politics they had 217 00:11:14,017 --> 00:11:16,021 was they owned the politicians. 218 00:11:20,025 --> 00:11:23,011 Calder: We were into country and flag. 219 00:11:24,011 --> 00:11:27,002 Most of our readers were proud to be American. 220 00:11:27,027 --> 00:11:30,021 Coz: We did not attack the U.S. government 221 00:11:31,001 --> 00:11:35,007 because our readers believed in the U.S. government. 222 00:11:35,017 --> 00:11:37,017 I mean, we weren't the conscience of the world. 223 00:11:38,006 --> 00:11:41,027 We were interested in stories that would sell paper. 224 00:11:49,012 --> 00:11:51,006 Auletta: The National Enquirer was a place where, 225 00:11:51,013 --> 00:11:53,019 you know, facts were not important. 226 00:11:53,021 --> 00:11:56,003 Uh, what was important was eyeballs. 227 00:11:56,027 --> 00:11:59,005 Bernstein: The universe that is described 228 00:11:59,011 --> 00:12:01,013 in edition after edition 229 00:12:01,025 --> 00:12:04,018 of the National Enquireris a... 230 00:12:06,017 --> 00:12:12,007 nonexistent universe in terms of reality. 231 00:12:12,017 --> 00:12:14,023 It's always been fake-ish. 232 00:12:15,011 --> 00:12:18,000 In other words, there was a nub of truth 233 00:12:18,002 --> 00:12:20,011 to most of the stories that printed. 234 00:12:20,013 --> 00:12:24,002 We would sensationalize that germ of truth 235 00:12:24,008 --> 00:12:26,010 to make it very palatable 236 00:12:26,012 --> 00:12:28,001 and very desirable to the reader. 237 00:12:28,003 --> 00:12:29,025 We used to call that exploding the nub. 238 00:12:29,027 --> 00:12:32,003 Things were exploded. 239 00:12:32,014 --> 00:12:34,013 You'd just take a story, 240 00:12:35,006 --> 00:12:36,021 and you make it more interesting. 241 00:12:36,027 --> 00:12:41,004 You don't change the facts. You just sensationalize it. 242 00:12:42,002 --> 00:12:43,017 That's what tabloids do. 243 00:12:47,023 --> 00:12:51,010 Wright: Generoso Pope decided that he wanted to move 244 00:12:51,012 --> 00:12:53,003 theEnquirerout of New York. 245 00:12:53,020 --> 00:12:57,015 And in 1971, we moved to Florida. 246 00:13:02,010 --> 00:13:03,022 He wanted to be on the ocean, 247 00:13:05,014 --> 00:13:07,027 and once he was here, he never left. 248 00:13:08,014 --> 00:13:11,021 He had the wherewithal to go anywhere in the world he wanted. 249 00:13:11,023 --> 00:13:15,023 He preferred to sit in Lantana and let the world come to him. 250 00:13:19,003 --> 00:13:20,027 Brenna: Walking into the Enquirer offie 251 00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:24,028 at that time was through a beautiful, tropical garden. 252 00:13:25,021 --> 00:13:29,000 (telephone ringing) 253 00:13:29,006 --> 00:13:32,007 Brenna: And you walk in to this gigantic newsroom, 254 00:13:32,009 --> 00:13:33,023 which is buzzing... 255 00:13:33,025 --> 00:13:37,023 - (telephone ringing) - (typewriter keys clacking) 256 00:13:37,025 --> 00:13:40,006 ...editors who are bent over their desks 257 00:13:40,008 --> 00:13:42,006 and calling all over the world. 258 00:13:42,008 --> 00:13:44,010 Is this overseas from Melbourne, Australia? 259 00:13:44,026 --> 00:13:47,022 Well, we have some questions on that UFO story. 260 00:13:47,024 --> 00:13:49,007 Brenna: Everybody's typing. 261 00:13:49,009 --> 00:13:50,020 Everybody's furiously on the phone. 262 00:13:50,029 --> 00:13:54,000 It was a... like a journalistic beehive. 263 00:13:54,016 --> 00:13:55,024 (telephone ringing) 264 00:13:56,001 --> 00:13:59,004 Controlled chaos. (laughing) It really was. 265 00:13:59,006 --> 00:14:01,000 Virga: Rotary phones and ashtrays. 266 00:14:01,002 --> 00:14:02,027 Brenna: Cigarettes and cigars everywhere. 267 00:14:02,029 --> 00:14:05,009 God knows why we didn't all have lung cancer, 268 00:14:05,011 --> 00:14:06,025 but it was a place 269 00:14:07,010 --> 00:14:10,011 that got your adrenaline going. 270 00:14:10,021 --> 00:14:13,023 - (typewriter keys clacking) - (telephone ringing) 271 00:14:13,025 --> 00:14:16,016 It was such a great vibe. It was so exciting. 272 00:14:16,022 --> 00:14:18,026 It was so crazy, and you just thought, 273 00:14:19,002 --> 00:14:20,020 "Maybe I want to be a part of this." 274 00:14:20,022 --> 00:14:22,004 (typewriter keys clacking) 275 00:14:23,020 --> 00:14:25,022 - (telephones ringing) - (typewriter bell dings) 276 00:14:25,024 --> 00:14:27,020 (indistinct chattering) 277 00:14:28,002 --> 00:14:29,021 Wallace: The city room has a decidedly 278 00:14:29,023 --> 00:14:31,005 Fleet Street accent. 279 00:14:31,007 --> 00:14:33,005 I have but a moment to reach Henry Green. 280 00:14:33,007 --> 00:14:35,021 And why... why do... why do you liken Hoover 281 00:14:35,023 --> 00:14:37,014 to a European dictator? 282 00:14:37,016 --> 00:14:39,015 Okay, John. This is story 207. 283 00:14:39,017 --> 00:14:41,005 Wallace: Pope likes London journalists 284 00:14:41,007 --> 00:14:43,014 schooled in scandal and the various successes 285 00:14:43,016 --> 00:14:45,006 of the British penny press. 286 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:51,016 Sternig: Oh, those papers had the most saucy stories, 287 00:14:51,018 --> 00:14:54,021 and they didn't spare any details at all. 288 00:14:54,023 --> 00:14:56,005 They went for the jugular, 289 00:14:56,007 --> 00:14:58,009 and he said, "I got to have me those guys. 290 00:14:58,011 --> 00:14:59,024 That's who I want on my paper." 291 00:14:59,026 --> 00:15:02,008 British reporters were a lot more aggressive, 292 00:15:02,014 --> 00:15:06,023 a lot more capable of doing unorthodox things. 293 00:15:07,002 --> 00:15:10,004 Wallace: Number one under Gene Pope is Iain Calder. 294 00:15:10,021 --> 00:15:13,016 Calder: By age 25, I'd worked on three papers, 295 00:15:13,018 --> 00:15:15,029 including the biggest paper in Scotland. 296 00:15:16,001 --> 00:15:18,004 That's where I really learned this craft. 297 00:15:18,012 --> 00:15:21,027 Brenna: Iain Calder had worked on the GlasgowRecord 298 00:15:22,014 --> 00:15:24,025 and was used to chasing fire engines 299 00:15:24,027 --> 00:15:27,019 and doing a lot of, kind of, scurrilous stuff. 300 00:15:27,026 --> 00:15:30,029 People were slashing rival reporters' tires, 301 00:15:31,001 --> 00:15:33,008 cutting people out on the doorstep. 302 00:15:34,009 --> 00:15:36,008 Calder came from that background. 303 00:15:36,014 --> 00:15:39,010 Every story you went out on, you were under pressure 304 00:15:39,018 --> 00:15:41,029 to get something better than the guy next to you. 305 00:15:42,008 --> 00:15:44,003 Wright: It was cutthroat competition. 306 00:15:44,022 --> 00:15:47,022 You had to have cunning, charm when it was needed. 307 00:15:47,024 --> 00:15:50,021 You had to talk people into being in a paper 308 00:15:50,023 --> 00:15:53,029 they didn't want to be in. We didn't take no for an answe. 309 00:15:54,018 --> 00:15:58,000 We're guys who were raised on checkbook journalism, 310 00:15:58,002 --> 00:16:02,021 underhand tactics, but we were not scumbags. 311 00:16:02,023 --> 00:16:05,009 We were pretty good journalists. 312 00:16:06,008 --> 00:16:08,014 And we, of course, are checking to see 313 00:16:08,016 --> 00:16:10,022 whether you have any information on the situation. 314 00:16:10,024 --> 00:16:13,008 man: All the information I have at this time 315 00:16:13,010 --> 00:16:14,027 - is the following. - Okay. 316 00:16:14,029 --> 00:16:17,023 We would run circles around most American reporters. 317 00:16:17,025 --> 00:16:19,000 They just didn't have it. 318 00:16:19,008 --> 00:16:22,005 Some of them did. Some of them developed it 319 00:16:22,011 --> 00:16:24,005 but only under our tutelage. 320 00:16:24,011 --> 00:16:26,026 I was looking for, like, U.K. type reporters, 321 00:16:26,028 --> 00:16:28,018 and the only reason I needed them 322 00:16:28,020 --> 00:16:30,019 was I couldn't find great reporters in America. 323 00:16:30,021 --> 00:16:34,003 We were in an uphill battle to try to get them 324 00:16:34,005 --> 00:16:35,016 to come and work for the Enquirer. 325 00:16:37,024 --> 00:16:42,023 The reputation of the Enquirer was terrible. 326 00:16:42,025 --> 00:16:44,009 I honestly thought, 327 00:16:44,011 --> 00:16:47,023 "Would it be easier to tell people I was in prison 328 00:16:47,025 --> 00:16:50,009 or a mental hospital for a couple years?" 329 00:16:51,009 --> 00:16:54,004 When I first joined the paper, it was kind of a joke, really. 330 00:16:54,006 --> 00:16:55,020 We thought they were kind of tacky. 331 00:16:56,007 --> 00:16:58,006 Coz: I went to Harvard to become a writer, 332 00:16:58,014 --> 00:17:01,004 and as my mother said, "No way. 333 00:17:01,006 --> 00:17:04,005 You can't go from Harvard to the National Enquirer." 334 00:17:05,016 --> 00:17:08,018 George: The prospect of writing for a national audience 335 00:17:08,020 --> 00:17:10,000 was pretty thrilling, 336 00:17:10,006 --> 00:17:13,008 I mean, even though it was the National Enquirer. 337 00:17:13,010 --> 00:17:16,000 But the reality was different. 338 00:17:16,006 --> 00:17:19,004 These people are promising to triple my salary 339 00:17:19,006 --> 00:17:21,002 and send me around the world. 340 00:17:21,012 --> 00:17:22,027 I need to be... 341 00:17:23,016 --> 00:17:25,011 a little bit reckless. 342 00:17:26,016 --> 00:17:27,028 Coz: Generoso Pope 343 00:17:28,012 --> 00:17:30,000 owned theNational Enquirer lock, stock, and barrel. 344 00:17:30,002 --> 00:17:31,016 He had a fortune, so he didn't care 345 00:17:31,018 --> 00:17:34,004 what expenses racked up chasing down stories. 346 00:17:34,006 --> 00:17:36,004 If you could get his curiosity going, 347 00:17:36,006 --> 00:17:39,015 then you're gonna be doing it and using his money. 348 00:17:41,017 --> 00:17:44,019 Wright: You didn't have to ask to hire a plane or a boat 349 00:17:44,021 --> 00:17:47,015 or a house or anything else. You just did it. 350 00:17:47,017 --> 00:17:50,006 George: The owner would hand them bags of money, 351 00:17:50,008 --> 00:17:52,029 and they were on a private jet to Paris. 352 00:17:53,017 --> 00:17:55,024 - Brenna: Maui. - George: Monaco. 353 00:17:57,012 --> 00:17:58,016 Wright: Puerto Vallarta. 354 00:18:00,018 --> 00:18:02,002 Vilcabamba. 355 00:18:02,004 --> 00:18:04,027 We're staying in a luxury hote, got the penthouse. 356 00:18:05,028 --> 00:18:07,029 Haley: What about a temple of snakes in India? 357 00:18:08,001 --> 00:18:09,005 (snake hissing) 358 00:18:09,007 --> 00:18:11,016 "Can you get out today to Hong Kong?" 359 00:18:16,018 --> 00:18:18,006 Balfour: The world was our oyster. 360 00:18:18,008 --> 00:18:21,002 That was the marvelous thing about the Enquirer. 361 00:18:21,004 --> 00:18:22,025 Brenna: The range of stuff was terrific. 362 00:18:23,002 --> 00:18:26,005 It was more than any newspaper or magazine 363 00:18:26,007 --> 00:18:28,018 that I had worked for ever offered. 364 00:18:29,024 --> 00:18:31,027 Within the first two years, I was making 365 00:18:31,029 --> 00:18:34,010 as much as Ben Bradlee was at The Washington Post, 366 00:18:34,023 --> 00:18:36,024 and I thought, "Man, that guy's underpaid." 367 00:18:37,028 --> 00:18:40,004 (telephone ringing) 368 00:18:40,018 --> 00:18:42,001 One thing about the atmosphere 369 00:18:42,003 --> 00:18:43,023 in the newsroom at the National Enquirer 370 00:18:43,025 --> 00:18:45,021 is you would have frivolity 371 00:18:45,023 --> 00:18:47,023 and that sense of energy going on, 372 00:18:47,025 --> 00:18:50,025 but when Generoso Pope walked through that newsroom, 373 00:18:52,014 --> 00:18:54,006 everyone picked up a phone 374 00:18:54,008 --> 00:18:56,008 and started talking like they were doing an interview. 375 00:18:56,015 --> 00:18:58,018 There was a tension whenever he entered the room. 376 00:18:59,010 --> 00:19:03,018 It was best if you didn't engae with him until he knew you. 377 00:19:03,020 --> 00:19:07,018 Couple of times he barked at me, I nearly jumped out of my skin. 378 00:19:07,020 --> 00:19:09,006 You suddenly realized 379 00:19:09,008 --> 00:19:10,016 that you're dealing with somebody 380 00:19:10,018 --> 00:19:13,009 who's 100 percent ruthless. 381 00:19:13,019 --> 00:19:15,010 Wright: He was a terrifying figure. 382 00:19:15,016 --> 00:19:18,013 You didn't talk to Mr. Pope, and he didn't talk to you. 383 00:19:19,003 --> 00:19:20,012 After I'd been there about six months, 384 00:19:20,014 --> 00:19:22,000 I was walking down the corridor, 385 00:19:22,008 --> 00:19:24,023 and he was walking towards me. He looked down at me and said, 386 00:19:24,025 --> 00:19:27,023 "Hi, David." I thought, "Oh, Jesus. He knows my name. 387 00:19:27,025 --> 00:19:30,008 This is very bad." (laughs) 388 00:19:30,010 --> 00:19:32,024 We were instructed not to look him in the eye. 389 00:19:32,026 --> 00:19:34,017 He never once looked me in the eye 390 00:19:34,027 --> 00:19:36,025 the entire time I worked for him. 391 00:19:37,007 --> 00:19:40,004 He would look at his desk or look at the floor. 392 00:19:42,020 --> 00:19:44,026 Calder: Gene Pope was ambitious and driven, 393 00:19:45,004 --> 00:19:46,023 and when he wanted something, 394 00:19:46,025 --> 00:19:50,007 he was like an express train going 100 miles an hour, 395 00:19:50,009 --> 00:19:52,001 and if people, that he hired, 396 00:19:52,011 --> 00:19:54,011 weren't taking him there, they were gone. 397 00:19:55,001 --> 00:19:57,029 There was no job security at the National Enquirer. 398 00:19:58,006 --> 00:20:01,014 Regan: He would pit every editor against each other, 399 00:20:01,016 --> 00:20:03,029 and we would vie for the number-one spot. 400 00:20:04,001 --> 00:20:06,015 It was brutal. It was brutal. 401 00:20:06,017 --> 00:20:08,008 If you were somebody that got results 402 00:20:08,010 --> 00:20:10,008 and you got page ones and big stories, 403 00:20:10,010 --> 00:20:11,019 well, you might be good for a week. 404 00:20:11,021 --> 00:20:14,028 Everybody lived in terror of Friday 405 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:18,026 because, on Friday, it was usually a bloodbath. 406 00:20:19,010 --> 00:20:21,012 Virga: At the end of the week, we'd lock up the paper, 407 00:20:21,023 --> 00:20:23,024 and people would all gravitate out 408 00:20:23,026 --> 00:20:25,001 to go have a drink. 409 00:20:25,003 --> 00:20:27,005 Pope got tired of everybody leaving, 410 00:20:27,012 --> 00:20:29,023 so he decided to bring in 411 00:20:30,003 --> 00:20:33,000 this huge catered event every Friday night. 412 00:20:33,002 --> 00:20:35,018 (indistinct chattering) 413 00:20:35,028 --> 00:20:38,026 - Brenna: Turkeys, full hams. - Shrimp. 414 00:20:38,028 --> 00:20:40,016 Virga: And a full ice-cream-sundae ba. 415 00:20:40,024 --> 00:20:43,010 Brenna: And all the booze you could possibly drink. 416 00:20:43,012 --> 00:20:45,024 Coz: Beer, wine, everything. 417 00:20:46,024 --> 00:20:49,021 Brenna: Of course, all of us would all get very drunk. 418 00:20:50,007 --> 00:20:52,006 Virga: Pope would sit in the middle of the newsroom 419 00:20:52,013 --> 00:20:53,023 smoking his cigarettes. 420 00:20:54,002 --> 00:20:57,007 But somebody would be fired before that dinner was over. 421 00:20:58,022 --> 00:21:02,006 It was the Friday night massacre and this was ruthless. 422 00:21:02,024 --> 00:21:05,018 Coz: Security would just come to a reporter's desk, 423 00:21:06,002 --> 00:21:07,016 escort them out of the building, 424 00:21:07,018 --> 00:21:09,006 and hand them a paycheck on the way out. 425 00:21:09,008 --> 00:21:11,014 You never knew who was going to survive Friday. 426 00:21:11,024 --> 00:21:13,019 Brenna: Goodbye, Florida living. 427 00:21:13,029 --> 00:21:15,023 Goodbye, big paychecks. 428 00:21:15,025 --> 00:21:18,012 Goodbye, amazing expense accounts. 429 00:21:18,014 --> 00:21:20,020 It all went out the window in a flash. 430 00:21:20,022 --> 00:21:23,009 It was all about the story. 431 00:21:23,022 --> 00:21:26,002 Get the story and don't come back 432 00:21:26,004 --> 00:21:27,013 until you have it. 433 00:21:27,022 --> 00:21:32,018 The National Enquirer at its zenith was a spy network. 434 00:21:33,000 --> 00:21:34,027 You couldn't go into hospital 435 00:21:34,029 --> 00:21:37,016 without somebody calling theEnquirer, 436 00:21:37,018 --> 00:21:39,014 because they were all getting paid. 437 00:21:39,023 --> 00:21:42,009 Calder: We might have stories from your sister, 438 00:21:42,015 --> 00:21:44,016 your brother, your boyfriend. 439 00:21:44,018 --> 00:21:47,008 It was important to know the hair stylist. 440 00:21:47,010 --> 00:21:51,003 Some of them were bitter, angry, jealous. 441 00:21:51,005 --> 00:21:53,011 Envy was a very key factor. 442 00:21:53,013 --> 00:21:56,003 In Hollywood, it was amazing how many people were prepared 443 00:21:56,005 --> 00:21:58,011 to sell out the stars they worked for. 444 00:21:58,013 --> 00:21:59,021 Calder: Someone in your PR office, 445 00:22:00,005 --> 00:22:01,029 someone in your lawyer's office, someone in your agent's office. 446 00:22:02,001 --> 00:22:04,018 Regan: And the agents double-dipped all the time. 447 00:22:04,020 --> 00:22:06,029 That's, like, standard operating procedure. 448 00:22:07,013 --> 00:22:10,007 Brenna: The average snitch with just a silly little tip 449 00:22:10,009 --> 00:22:12,000 would be getting 300 bucks. 450 00:22:12,008 --> 00:22:15,024 If the tip made the cover, it was more like 5,000, 451 00:22:15,026 --> 00:22:19,029 six thousand, ten thousand. We're talking about big bucks. 452 00:22:21,026 --> 00:22:23,017 Haberman: I mean, you... you were not supposed to pay 453 00:22:23,019 --> 00:22:26,000 for news. Um, you know, when I was at the New York Post, 454 00:22:26,009 --> 00:22:28,002 um, you would pay for photos, um, 455 00:22:28,004 --> 00:22:30,019 but that's very, very different. A lot of outlets do that. 456 00:22:30,021 --> 00:22:32,026 Um, you do not pay for information. 457 00:22:34,025 --> 00:22:36,017 Coz: The mainstream media went after us 458 00:22:36,019 --> 00:22:39,008 saying we paid sources. We said, "Yes, we do." 459 00:22:39,010 --> 00:22:41,019 Listen. If they've got the information, 460 00:22:41,027 --> 00:22:43,014 they should be paid for it. 461 00:22:46,011 --> 00:22:47,029 Regan: When I started at theNational Enquirer 462 00:22:48,001 --> 00:22:49,008 as a reporter, 463 00:22:49,017 --> 00:22:51,004 I didn't know very much about the world, 464 00:22:51,006 --> 00:22:54,021 and one of the great heartaches of my experience there 465 00:22:54,023 --> 00:22:55,021 was to see 466 00:22:56,002 --> 00:22:57,029 that if you were famous, if you were rich, 467 00:22:58,001 --> 00:22:59,011 if you were a celebrity, 468 00:22:59,017 --> 00:23:01,016 that people in your orbit 469 00:23:01,018 --> 00:23:05,017 would undoubtedly one day betray you for money, 470 00:23:05,025 --> 00:23:07,010 and the thing that shocked me 471 00:23:07,012 --> 00:23:10,002 was that it was always the people close to you 472 00:23:10,010 --> 00:23:12,021 who would betray you the most. 473 00:23:15,027 --> 00:23:18,010 male reporter: 474 00:23:18,012 --> 00:23:19,020 woman: 475 00:23:19,022 --> 00:23:21,003 male reporter: Okay. 476 00:23:51,019 --> 00:23:54,011 woman: 477 00:24:00,004 --> 00:24:01,027 Sternig: I had a story about Bob Hope, 478 00:24:01,029 --> 00:24:04,010 and it was about all of his philandering 479 00:24:04,012 --> 00:24:06,019 and some of his mistresses and all this, so I... 480 00:24:06,025 --> 00:24:09,025 I wrote it up. I submitted it. Mr. Pope got it, 481 00:24:10,005 --> 00:24:11,027 and he said to me, 482 00:24:12,015 --> 00:24:13,022 "Barbara, 483 00:24:14,004 --> 00:24:17,008 I don't think America wants to know this about Bob Hope," 484 00:24:19,015 --> 00:24:22,020 and he killed the story. Mr. Pope killed the story. 485 00:24:22,022 --> 00:24:24,006 There had to be some advantage 486 00:24:24,008 --> 00:24:25,022 that they would get out of killing a story. 487 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:29,016 "There's a scandal? There's a negative story? 488 00:24:29,025 --> 00:24:34,004 Oh, in exchange, we'll do Bob Hope at home. 489 00:24:34,013 --> 00:24:36,003 We'll make a deal with you 490 00:24:36,005 --> 00:24:38,029 to do nice stories, and you'll cooperate with us, 491 00:24:39,009 --> 00:24:41,009 and we'll take beautiful pictures, 492 00:24:42,010 --> 00:24:44,011 and all that other stuff will go away," 493 00:24:44,021 --> 00:24:47,001 and then you'd have an ongoing relationship with them. 494 00:24:47,003 --> 00:24:48,019 It's like getting them on the hook, 495 00:24:48,029 --> 00:24:50,013 and then they have to keep giving you 496 00:24:50,015 --> 00:24:53,005 these positive stories. It's protection money, 497 00:24:53,014 --> 00:24:55,003 and that's how the Mafia works. 498 00:24:56,013 --> 00:24:58,027 Calder: We were the only people that celebrities had to fear 499 00:24:58,029 --> 00:25:00,010 if they did something wrong. 500 00:25:00,019 --> 00:25:02,004 They had to worry about the Enquirerknowing 501 00:25:02,006 --> 00:25:03,011 'cause we knew... 502 00:25:03,024 --> 00:25:05,017 I wouldn't say everything, but we knew a heck of a lot. 503 00:25:08,001 --> 00:25:09,021 male reporter: 504 00:25:12,017 --> 00:25:14,024 woman: 505 00:25:15,001 --> 00:25:17,015 male reporter: 506 00:25:18,021 --> 00:25:19,027 woman: 507 00:25:24,021 --> 00:25:26,010 male reporter: All right. We'll... (phone disconnects) 508 00:25:26,012 --> 00:25:28,005 man: And there were several people with him, 509 00:25:28,017 --> 00:25:31,001 and we don't have the information yet as to who.. 510 00:25:31,010 --> 00:25:34,006 Balfour: Some of the things that we did to get a story, 511 00:25:34,012 --> 00:25:38,001 uh, blurred the lines of legality, I would say. 512 00:25:38,003 --> 00:25:41,008 I mean, I've done dirty tricks. Oh, my Lord. 513 00:25:42,025 --> 00:25:44,015 Brenna: Phones were bugged 514 00:25:44,017 --> 00:25:47,017 by private detectives employed by theEnquirer. 515 00:25:47,028 --> 00:25:50,029 People's mail was sometimes being read, 516 00:25:51,001 --> 00:25:55,008 taken out of letter boxes and opened and resealed and... 517 00:25:55,010 --> 00:25:56,012 and what have you. 518 00:25:56,026 --> 00:25:58,010 Haley: Was there things that were done 519 00:25:58,012 --> 00:26:00,002 that were questionable, 520 00:26:00,027 --> 00:26:02,000 outright illegal? 521 00:26:03,010 --> 00:26:08,006 - Maybe. - (audience cheering) 522 00:26:14,017 --> 00:26:17,001 I've loved him for nine years! 523 00:26:17,021 --> 00:26:19,012 (music playing) 524 00:26:19,014 --> 00:26:23,014 Sternig: Elvis was everything to anEnquirerreader. 525 00:26:23,016 --> 00:26:26,007 - (music playing) - (audience cheering) 526 00:26:29,017 --> 00:26:31,016 Balfour: Elvis Presley could make or break 527 00:26:31,018 --> 00:26:33,020 a whole tabloid. It could make or break 528 00:26:33,022 --> 00:26:36,004 a whole tabloid reporter's career. 529 00:26:42,004 --> 00:26:44,013 male news reporter: Elvis Presley, the longtime kig 530 00:26:44,015 --> 00:26:46,003 of rock 'n' roll, is dead. 531 00:26:46,005 --> 00:26:48,005 An autopsy report released tonight... 532 00:26:48,007 --> 00:26:51,008 (speaking French) 533 00:26:51,010 --> 00:26:53,001 Tomorrow, Elvis Presley will be buried 534 00:26:53,003 --> 00:26:54,008 after a private funeral. 535 00:26:55,019 --> 00:26:58,020 I was in the office in 1977 when Elvis died. 536 00:26:58,029 --> 00:27:00,021 The news broke about five o'clock 537 00:27:00,023 --> 00:27:04,018 in the afternoon, and by 5:45, 538 00:27:04,028 --> 00:27:06,029 there were six of us on a Learjet 539 00:27:07,007 --> 00:27:08,014 heading for Memphis. 540 00:27:09,013 --> 00:27:11,014 There was one extra bag on the plane, 541 00:27:11,022 --> 00:27:15,025 and that bag contained fifty thousand dollars in cash. 542 00:27:16,014 --> 00:27:17,027 male reporter 1: By 5:00 p.m., 543 00:27:17,029 --> 00:27:19,025 the crowd numbered more than 70,000. 544 00:27:20,009 --> 00:27:22,015 male reporter 2: For many, it was all just too much. 545 00:27:22,021 --> 00:27:25,022 Friends tried to comfort fans who'd waited 20 hours 546 00:27:25,024 --> 00:27:27,017 to pay their last respects. 547 00:27:27,019 --> 00:27:30,000 All I feel is just hurt. I hurt all over. 548 00:27:30,014 --> 00:27:32,024 Brenna: When we got to Memphis, we took over the entire floor 549 00:27:32,026 --> 00:27:34,004 of a Holiday Inn, 550 00:27:34,006 --> 00:27:36,002 booked up every room in the hotel. 551 00:27:36,004 --> 00:27:39,023 We had fax machines going and photocopying machines. 552 00:27:39,025 --> 00:27:42,013 Yeah, we turned the hotel into a newspaper office. 553 00:27:42,015 --> 00:27:43,024 And they put out the word 554 00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:45,018 that if anybody has got anything, we'll pay them. 555 00:27:45,020 --> 00:27:48,021 And that cash rapidly started to be distributed 556 00:27:48,023 --> 00:27:51,006 to various sources in Memphis. 557 00:27:51,014 --> 00:27:53,019 We bought up almost everybody. 558 00:27:53,021 --> 00:27:56,019 male reporter 3: The huge crowds have become steadily bigger 559 00:27:56,021 --> 00:27:58,000 throughout the day. 560 00:27:58,011 --> 00:28:00,020 The families say they want the funeral to be quiet, 561 00:28:00,022 --> 00:28:03,017 to be dignified, and to be a family affair. 562 00:28:03,019 --> 00:28:05,024 Brenna: Pope had a very strange mentality. 563 00:28:05,026 --> 00:28:09,014 He wanted to know all the ins and outs of people's deaths. 564 00:28:09,022 --> 00:28:11,009 male reporter 4: Before the funeral, 565 00:28:11,020 --> 00:28:13,018 Elvis Presley's body, dressed in a white dinner jacket, 566 00:28:13,020 --> 00:28:16,004 lay in a copper coffin for people to see 567 00:28:16,006 --> 00:28:17,010 though not photograph. 568 00:28:17,020 --> 00:28:19,005 male reporter 5: Cameras were not permitted. 569 00:28:19,015 --> 00:28:21,017 The perfect Enquirerphoto, nobody else had it. 570 00:28:22,013 --> 00:28:25,002 It had to be a one-of-a-kind. 571 00:28:25,015 --> 00:28:27,021 It had to tell a story unto itself, 572 00:28:27,028 --> 00:28:30,012 and it had to be something that everybody wanted to see. 573 00:28:31,007 --> 00:28:32,024 The right photo could bring 574 00:28:32,026 --> 00:28:36,008 the phenomenal amount of money depending on how right it was, 575 00:28:36,010 --> 00:28:40,008 so what's the ultimate picture that you're gonna get of Elvis? 576 00:28:43,016 --> 00:28:44,026 Elvis in the coffin. 577 00:28:46,021 --> 00:28:49,005 Wright: That was an operation that was highly secret, 578 00:28:49,007 --> 00:28:51,025 went on for days and days and days. 579 00:28:54,007 --> 00:28:56,006 male reporter 6: It was a white cortege, 580 00:28:56,008 --> 00:28:59,008 a white hearse, and ten white Cadillacs. 581 00:28:59,017 --> 00:29:03,004 Elvis loved Cadillacs. He had a dozen himself. 582 00:29:03,006 --> 00:29:05,026 Coz: So all the relatives were in line 583 00:29:05,028 --> 00:29:08,016 at his casket to bid him farewell. 584 00:29:08,024 --> 00:29:12,010 We dressed up a portly, older British gentleman 585 00:29:12,012 --> 00:29:14,027 as a priest, and he was in line. 586 00:29:14,029 --> 00:29:17,016 He got to the casket. And underneath his robe, 587 00:29:17,018 --> 00:29:19,007 he had a little miniature camera. 588 00:29:19,023 --> 00:29:22,006 But he couldn't get high enough to get the picture, 589 00:29:22,008 --> 00:29:23,012 so we didn't have that. 590 00:29:23,024 --> 00:29:25,011 One of our photographers 591 00:29:25,013 --> 00:29:28,003 saw Elvis' cousin going to a local bar. 592 00:29:28,012 --> 00:29:31,007 And he followed him in, and as the guy's standing ther, 593 00:29:31,009 --> 00:29:33,013 he says to him, "How'd you like to make a lot of money?" 594 00:29:33,015 --> 00:29:34,024 Guy says, "Oh, I'd love to, mate." 595 00:29:35,004 --> 00:29:36,015 He said, "If I gave you a camera, 596 00:29:36,017 --> 00:29:38,006 could you get a picture of Elvis in his coffin?" 597 00:29:38,008 --> 00:29:39,020 - "Sure." - (camera shutter clicks) 598 00:29:39,022 --> 00:29:40,025 Wright: Unfortunately, it didn't work 599 00:29:40,027 --> 00:29:42,009 the first couple of times, 600 00:29:42,018 --> 00:29:45,011 and he had to make excuses to go back and pay his respects 601 00:29:45,013 --> 00:29:46,022 over and over again. 602 00:29:47,004 --> 00:29:50,015 The first picture is a picture of the guy taking the picture. 603 00:29:50,017 --> 00:29:51,029 He had turned it 'round the wrong way. 604 00:29:52,020 --> 00:29:56,018 Okay. Second one... picture of the chandelier. 605 00:29:56,020 --> 00:29:58,010 I go, "Oh, my God." 606 00:29:58,012 --> 00:30:01,002 The third one was just brilliant. 607 00:30:01,004 --> 00:30:03,007 It was the perfect page-one picture. 608 00:30:03,009 --> 00:30:06,014 We sold 6.9 million copies that week. 609 00:30:06,016 --> 00:30:11,009 People were stealing copies. This was so huge. 610 00:30:11,011 --> 00:30:14,013 ♪ Let's go ♪ 611 00:30:21,019 --> 00:30:23,020 - ♪ Ballroom blitz ♪ - ♪ Blitz, blitz, blitz... ♪ 612 00:30:23,028 --> 00:30:26,008 Sternig: Mary Jane buys the paper. She gives it to mom. 613 00:30:26,010 --> 00:30:28,026 Mom gives it to niece. Niece gives it to her husband. 614 00:30:29,004 --> 00:30:31,009 There were 25 million readers a week. 615 00:30:31,015 --> 00:30:33,003 Wright: TheEnquirer had so much mail 616 00:30:33,005 --> 00:30:36,000 that they had their own ZIP code, 33464. 617 00:30:36,017 --> 00:30:38,023 Calder: Thousands and thousands of letters a day. 618 00:30:38,025 --> 00:30:40,008 We were bigger thanTimemagazine. 619 00:30:40,010 --> 00:30:41,024 We were bigger thanNewsweek. 620 00:30:41,026 --> 00:30:43,014 We sold more copies than anyone else. 621 00:30:43,016 --> 00:30:45,021 This is your favorite magazine, the National Enquirer. 622 00:30:46,024 --> 00:30:48,006 Carson: Here we go again. 623 00:30:49,000 --> 00:30:50,016 narrator: Iain Calder on dirt. 624 00:30:50,022 --> 00:30:53,010 At the National Enquirer, we uncover more dirt than anyone 625 00:30:53,012 --> 00:30:55,004 except possibly this Hoover cleaner 626 00:30:55,006 --> 00:30:56,014 with attached tools and hose. 627 00:30:56,016 --> 00:30:58,020 It may even get more dirt than we do. 628 00:30:59,000 --> 00:31:00,029 (music playing) 629 00:31:04,006 --> 00:31:06,012 Calder: When we had a major front page 630 00:31:06,027 --> 00:31:08,011 and it sold really well, 631 00:31:08,021 --> 00:31:11,008 I maybe had ten minutes of euphoria. 632 00:31:11,023 --> 00:31:15,006 Then I would remember I had to find a great front page 633 00:31:15,012 --> 00:31:18,015 that was gonna sell four and a half, five million copies. 634 00:31:18,022 --> 00:31:21,011 So every single week, it just went on, 635 00:31:21,013 --> 00:31:23,005 and on, and on like that. 636 00:31:23,027 --> 00:31:26,000 male reporter 1: When his body was found last week, 637 00:31:26,002 --> 00:31:28,020 police said John Belushi at the age of only 33 638 00:31:28,022 --> 00:31:32,011 had died of natural causes and that there was no foul pla. 639 00:31:32,013 --> 00:31:33,028 When somebody dies, it's like, 640 00:31:34,000 --> 00:31:35,020 "Okay. Let's bad-mouth them as much as possible. 641 00:31:35,022 --> 00:31:37,011 Let's put it in the Enquirer." 642 00:31:37,013 --> 00:31:39,003 John Belushi dying was a big story, 643 00:31:39,005 --> 00:31:41,024 but we always wanted to do the story behind the story. 644 00:31:41,026 --> 00:31:43,002 That's what sold papers. 645 00:31:43,008 --> 00:31:47,007 So, uh, I picked two really great reporters. 646 00:31:47,018 --> 00:31:50,019 Uh, Tony Brenna and I, who was my partner in that. 647 00:31:50,021 --> 00:31:53,029 I think Haley was a very competent journalist, 648 00:31:54,023 --> 00:31:57,011 even by Enquirerstandards. 649 00:31:57,013 --> 00:32:01,001 I was in Lantana in March when he died 650 00:32:01,003 --> 00:32:02,016 at the Chateau Marmont. 651 00:32:02,022 --> 00:32:04,015 We wanted to know what happened that night, 652 00:32:04,017 --> 00:32:06,015 and there was this mystery woman whose name wasn't released. 653 00:32:06,017 --> 00:32:08,021 They called her Cathy Silverbags 654 00:32:08,028 --> 00:32:12,003 because she sold drugs out of a silver purse. 655 00:32:12,014 --> 00:32:14,001 male reporter 2: Cathy Evelyn Smith 656 00:32:14,003 --> 00:32:16,005 listed her profession as backup singer. 657 00:32:16,015 --> 00:32:18,027 Police questioned but then released her. 658 00:32:19,014 --> 00:32:21,002 male reporter 3: So Smith, a 35-year-old 659 00:32:21,004 --> 00:32:23,011 rock-'n'-roll groupie, went home to Toronto. 660 00:32:23,013 --> 00:32:28,020 We then went up to Canada to find Cathy Smith. 661 00:32:29,000 --> 00:32:32,008 We spent about ten days in a hotel room. 662 00:32:32,020 --> 00:32:34,029 And the story came in, and I say, 663 00:32:35,019 --> 00:32:38,026 "You know, this woman is saying that she killed John Belushi. 664 00:32:38,028 --> 00:32:42,004 She's not saying it." I said, "I want that headline." 665 00:32:42,012 --> 00:32:44,023 I said, "Go back and get her to say, 666 00:32:44,025 --> 00:32:47,004 'I killed John Belushi,' on tape." 667 00:32:47,019 --> 00:32:51,022 So we spent the next week partying with her. 668 00:32:51,024 --> 00:32:53,021 We ran up an enormous hotel bill 669 00:32:53,023 --> 00:32:56,026 and had a great time and became her best friends. 670 00:33:03,019 --> 00:33:06,005 And she didn't want to say it. 671 00:33:07,015 --> 00:33:08,027 Haley: Tony had a tape reporter going. 672 00:33:08,029 --> 00:33:11,005 I had one going. She would say, 673 00:33:11,014 --> 00:33:13,009 "Yeah. I... We were responsible for his death, but I... 674 00:33:13,011 --> 00:33:16,009 - We can't say that." - I said, "Oh, c'mon, Catherine. 675 00:33:16,016 --> 00:33:17,028 Let's get this over with. 676 00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:20,011 You killed the guy, under any circumstance. 677 00:33:20,013 --> 00:33:22,006 You shot him up with heroin 678 00:33:22,015 --> 00:33:24,010 and cocaine, and he died," 679 00:33:24,019 --> 00:33:26,020 and she said, "Well, if you want me to say that, 680 00:33:26,022 --> 00:33:28,025 - I killed him." - Turn off the tape. 681 00:33:29,005 --> 00:33:30,014 Brenna: And click. 682 00:33:31,020 --> 00:33:33,002 You know, Brenna turns his tape off. 683 00:33:33,004 --> 00:33:34,007 I leave mine running. 684 00:33:36,014 --> 00:33:37,029 So I ended up taping her... 685 00:33:39,027 --> 00:33:41,011 confessing to the murder. 686 00:33:42,015 --> 00:33:44,009 Calder: So anyway, they got her to say it. 687 00:33:44,011 --> 00:33:47,019 We ran this front-page story, "I killed John Belushi." 688 00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:50,004 Haley: It's the murder confession. 689 00:33:50,006 --> 00:33:51,016 It's all the details. 690 00:33:52,006 --> 00:33:53,029 She was John Belushi's... 691 00:33:54,014 --> 00:33:56,013 Florence Nightingale with a needle. 692 00:33:56,021 --> 00:33:59,017 Well, it's not something Cathy Smith is going to say. 693 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:02,007 It's not something most people are gonna say, 694 00:34:02,026 --> 00:34:05,006 but you say, you know, 695 00:34:05,012 --> 00:34:08,005 "You were sort of like a Florence Nightingale 696 00:34:08,007 --> 00:34:09,024 with a needle. That's what you're saying." 697 00:34:09,026 --> 00:34:11,007 She says, "Yeah. That's right." 698 00:34:11,027 --> 00:34:13,011 She's being fed a quote. 699 00:34:15,007 --> 00:34:16,011 That's how it works. 700 00:34:21,002 --> 00:34:22,026 Brenna: We knew that what she was saying 701 00:34:22,028 --> 00:34:24,022 was gonna be self-incriminating, 702 00:34:25,006 --> 00:34:28,018 and that she would probably be arrested for it, and she was. 703 00:34:30,022 --> 00:34:33,011 So the prosecutor's office went nuts. 704 00:34:33,013 --> 00:34:34,025 male reporter 4: In anEnquirerarticle, 705 00:34:34,027 --> 00:34:36,016 written by Brenna and Haley, 706 00:34:36,018 --> 00:34:38,026 Smith appears to confess to injecting Belushi 707 00:34:38,028 --> 00:34:41,001 with a fatal dose of heroin and cocaine. 708 00:34:41,007 --> 00:34:42,029 Brenna: And for the next six months, 709 00:34:43,001 --> 00:34:44,026 I was in front of a grand jury. 710 00:34:45,019 --> 00:34:47,026 Haley: I mean, this was the first time 711 00:34:47,028 --> 00:34:50,002 thatNational Enquirerreporter 712 00:34:50,016 --> 00:34:53,019 had to show up by subpoena to a grand-jury 713 00:34:53,021 --> 00:34:56,009 murder investigation on a major celebrity. 714 00:34:56,011 --> 00:34:57,013 It was stressful. 715 00:34:58,001 --> 00:34:59,025 Uh, actually, my marriage fell apart. 716 00:34:59,027 --> 00:35:01,006 Tony's fell apart first, 717 00:35:01,008 --> 00:35:03,000 I followed pretty much right behind him. 718 00:35:03,009 --> 00:35:06,009 I felt that we had crossed the line on that story. 719 00:35:06,019 --> 00:35:08,015 We had, uh, 720 00:35:09,014 --> 00:35:12,018 gone too far in becoming her friend, 721 00:35:13,004 --> 00:35:17,004 and I felt we had sold her out, and I felt that particularly so 722 00:35:17,013 --> 00:35:19,009 when she actually went to prison. 723 00:35:19,019 --> 00:35:20,029 John Belushi's story 724 00:35:21,013 --> 00:35:25,008 would be one of the occasions that got to be... 725 00:35:26,004 --> 00:35:27,023 ethically challenging. 726 00:35:28,005 --> 00:35:31,020 - (crowd cheering) - (whistling) 727 00:35:36,015 --> 00:35:39,023 Sternig: Becoming a famous celebrity 728 00:35:39,025 --> 00:35:40,029 is a trade-off. 729 00:35:42,001 --> 00:35:44,028 You want the public to admire you. 730 00:35:45,000 --> 00:35:47,008 That's not free. That's not free. 731 00:35:47,010 --> 00:35:51,011 You have to give, in return, some access to your life. 732 00:35:51,019 --> 00:35:54,005 What you give up is anonymity. 733 00:36:02,029 --> 00:36:05,003 I had a contact in Las Vegas 734 00:36:05,005 --> 00:36:08,020 who tipped me off that Cosby was keeping a girl. 735 00:36:12,011 --> 00:36:13,029 And she was a showgirl. 736 00:36:17,027 --> 00:36:19,007 He bought a house for her, 737 00:36:19,009 --> 00:36:21,006 and he would go up to Vegas and visit her. 738 00:36:22,002 --> 00:36:25,015 So I ordered a stakeout, a photographer we had in Vegas, 739 00:36:25,025 --> 00:36:28,019 and he caught Cosby going into the house, 740 00:36:28,021 --> 00:36:30,007 coming out of the house with the girl, 741 00:36:30,009 --> 00:36:31,022 kissing her at the door, all of this. 742 00:36:33,016 --> 00:36:35,012 And I had a couple other contacts of mine 743 00:36:35,020 --> 00:36:37,021 who were able to confirm this story. 744 00:36:40,002 --> 00:36:42,012 I wrote it up, gave it into my editor. 745 00:36:42,019 --> 00:36:44,023 Mr. Pope saw the story, and he said, 746 00:36:45,012 --> 00:36:48,001 "She's got to go and call Cosby." 747 00:36:50,003 --> 00:36:52,008 This was the time that he was America's dad. 748 00:36:52,010 --> 00:36:54,000 He hadThe Cosby Show on television. 749 00:36:54,008 --> 00:36:55,020 I'd been on the set many times. 750 00:36:55,022 --> 00:36:57,007 I interviewed all the other people on there, 751 00:36:57,017 --> 00:37:00,015 and I thought, "Oh, my God. If I have to call Cosby up now." 752 00:37:00,017 --> 00:37:02,005 They said, "You got to call him," 753 00:37:02,007 --> 00:37:03,016 so I called him, 754 00:37:05,000 --> 00:37:06,017 and he, of course, said, uh, 755 00:37:07,002 --> 00:37:09,027 "What's the name of your executive editor?" 756 00:37:10,018 --> 00:37:12,012 And I told him, and he said, 757 00:37:12,023 --> 00:37:14,020 "What number can I reach him?" 758 00:37:15,025 --> 00:37:16,028 I gave him the number. 759 00:37:17,006 --> 00:37:19,011 He said, "Thank you very much," and he hung up. 760 00:37:19,017 --> 00:37:21,017 He proceeded to call Iain Calder, 761 00:37:22,007 --> 00:37:24,024 who cut a deal with Cosby to kill my story 762 00:37:25,001 --> 00:37:29,008 in exchange for a couple of sit-down interviews 763 00:37:29,019 --> 00:37:31,006 with any reporter 764 00:37:31,008 --> 00:37:33,007 except Barbara Sternig. (chuckles) 765 00:37:33,017 --> 00:37:35,026 And that was kind of the end of my relationship 766 00:37:35,028 --> 00:37:37,009 with The Cosby Show. 767 00:37:39,004 --> 00:37:40,021 Shipp: For a long time, we killed stories 768 00:37:40,023 --> 00:37:43,002 about Bill Cosby. I got some stories. 769 00:37:44,003 --> 00:37:45,023 Little starlets who were on his show, 770 00:37:46,002 --> 00:37:48,019 they would call in, you know, "He did this. He did that." 771 00:37:48,027 --> 00:37:51,015 I would go to my editor, and I would put a lead in 772 00:37:51,022 --> 00:37:53,006 about the story and it gets approved 773 00:37:53,008 --> 00:37:55,008 or not approved. I never heard about it again. 774 00:37:56,007 --> 00:37:57,014 It was never seen again. 775 00:37:58,014 --> 00:38:00,024 You ask about it, and we'll say, "We'll get back to you," 776 00:38:01,024 --> 00:38:04,008 but you learned, at least for me early on, 777 00:38:04,010 --> 00:38:06,011 I was brand-new. I'm still trying to prove myself... 778 00:38:06,013 --> 00:38:07,012 You didn't push it. 779 00:38:07,028 --> 00:38:09,014 Calder: I was making trades 780 00:38:10,003 --> 00:38:12,012 that would make our readers happier, 781 00:38:12,024 --> 00:38:14,015 but I had to make that decision myself. 782 00:38:14,017 --> 00:38:15,023 What's the better stories? 783 00:38:16,015 --> 00:38:19,009 We were keen on any story that would sell papers. 784 00:38:19,022 --> 00:38:22,003 There's a sort of nasty little characteristic 785 00:38:22,005 --> 00:38:23,009 that people have. 786 00:38:23,020 --> 00:38:25,023 They... they... they get a little jealous of success. 787 00:38:25,025 --> 00:38:28,010 They want to see somebody taken down a peg or two. 788 00:38:28,029 --> 00:38:30,029 Brenna: It's like in ancient Rome, oka? 789 00:38:31,001 --> 00:38:33,002 They cheer them when they are famous, 790 00:38:33,004 --> 00:38:34,028 and they cheer them when they're doing well, 791 00:38:35,004 --> 00:38:38,004 but when things go wrong, they give them the thumbs-down 792 00:38:38,006 --> 00:38:40,026 and say, "Good riddance. To hell with them." 793 00:38:40,028 --> 00:38:44,019 (crowd applauding) 794 00:38:46,015 --> 00:38:51,017 I intend to seek the presidency of the United States in 1988. 795 00:38:51,019 --> 00:38:54,022 (crowd cheering and applauding) 796 00:38:54,024 --> 00:38:57,019 The Enquirer,for a long time, didn't touch politics 797 00:38:57,021 --> 00:39:01,006 because Generoso Pope didn't think politicians sold. 798 00:39:01,017 --> 00:39:06,000 But politics became another form of celebrity, 799 00:39:06,020 --> 00:39:09,025 and that's where the Enquirer got into it. 800 00:39:12,025 --> 00:39:15,024 Coz: You can't underestimate the significance of Gary Hart 801 00:39:15,026 --> 00:39:17,001 to theNational Enquirer. 802 00:39:18,006 --> 00:39:19,019 Calder: We weren't interested in doing stories 803 00:39:19,021 --> 00:39:22,015 about potential presidential candidates 804 00:39:22,022 --> 00:39:24,019 and politicians, per se, 805 00:39:25,005 --> 00:39:27,009 unless there was some, really, other story. 806 00:39:27,020 --> 00:39:29,009 Auletta: Gary Hart was young. 807 00:39:29,015 --> 00:39:32,007 He was good-looking. He was from out west, 808 00:39:32,022 --> 00:39:34,004 had friends like Warren Beatty 809 00:39:34,006 --> 00:39:36,003 and a lot of other Hollywood stars, 810 00:39:36,012 --> 00:39:38,010 and the thought was that he was gonna win 811 00:39:38,012 --> 00:39:40,000 the Democratic nomination. 812 00:39:41,001 --> 00:39:42,001 He was a meteor. 813 00:39:53,012 --> 00:39:55,022 Haley: The Miami Herald came out with their story, 814 00:39:56,000 --> 00:39:57,028 a romance between these two people. 815 00:39:58,015 --> 00:40:01,027 Why is The Miami Heraldengagin in Enquirertype shit, you know? 816 00:40:02,011 --> 00:40:04,010 And I thought, "Well, why don't we try to see 817 00:40:04,012 --> 00:40:06,007 if we can get a piece of this whole action 818 00:40:06,009 --> 00:40:08,002 and this Gary Hart thing theHeraldhas got?" 819 00:40:08,021 --> 00:40:11,018 All I can say is, a picture is worth a thousand words. 820 00:40:13,023 --> 00:40:15,017 male reporter 1: 821 00:40:20,006 --> 00:40:22,027 male reporter 2: 822 00:40:23,028 --> 00:40:25,019 male reporter 3: 823 00:40:29,019 --> 00:40:32,005 He basically challenged the press. 824 00:40:32,007 --> 00:40:36,007 He said, "If you think I have a girlfriend, go for it." 825 00:40:36,009 --> 00:40:38,006 Come on. That's the perfect setup 826 00:40:38,008 --> 00:40:41,000 for being on aEnquirer front-page story is, 827 00:40:41,002 --> 00:40:45,007 good-looking, sexy, lying politician. 828 00:40:45,027 --> 00:40:47,005 male reporter 4: 829 00:40:49,024 --> 00:40:53,022 Did I do anything immoral? I absolutely did not. 830 00:40:53,024 --> 00:40:55,017 Calder: He went on television. He said, "It's not true. 831 00:40:55,019 --> 00:40:57,009 It's absolutely not true. We know it's not true," 832 00:40:57,015 --> 00:41:00,002 and he had his wife by his side who stood by him. 833 00:41:00,004 --> 00:41:02,029 And when Gary says, "Nothing happened," 834 00:41:03,027 --> 00:41:05,005 nothing happened. 835 00:41:05,019 --> 00:41:08,015 Virga: I mean, everybody knew he'd had a thing with this gir, 836 00:41:08,029 --> 00:41:10,021 but nobody had the proof. 837 00:41:10,023 --> 00:41:13,009 (helicopter whirring) 838 00:41:13,018 --> 00:41:15,013 Coz: We discovered through one of his neighbors 839 00:41:15,015 --> 00:41:19,009 that he had gone down to take a boat ride out of Miami, 840 00:41:19,019 --> 00:41:21,000 and he had a girl with him. 841 00:41:21,025 --> 00:41:26,000 We swept through that wharf for five days 842 00:41:26,006 --> 00:41:28,009 trying to find somebody with knowledge of it. 843 00:41:29,013 --> 00:41:31,004 Haley: We had contact with a freelancr 844 00:41:31,006 --> 00:41:33,016 who knew this photograph existed, 845 00:41:33,029 --> 00:41:36,015 and we came to an arrangement. 846 00:41:38,016 --> 00:41:40,004 It's 87,000 dollars, 847 00:41:40,025 --> 00:41:44,020 and we owned worldwide rights to that photo forever. 848 00:41:48,026 --> 00:41:50,015 Virga: I couldn't have created a better picture. 849 00:41:50,017 --> 00:41:52,003 I couldn't have sent a photographer out 850 00:41:52,005 --> 00:41:54,021 with instructions and had him come back 851 00:41:54,027 --> 00:41:56,012 with something better than that. 852 00:41:58,011 --> 00:42:01,028 Coz: That changed the face of American politics. 853 00:42:02,000 --> 00:42:03,017 Gary Hart had an excellent chance 854 00:42:03,019 --> 00:42:04,025 of becoming president, 855 00:42:05,001 --> 00:42:08,006 and that just destroyed his political chances. 856 00:42:08,024 --> 00:42:10,014 I don't really want to comment on that. 857 00:42:10,020 --> 00:42:12,014 Calder: Dukakis took his place. 858 00:42:12,016 --> 00:42:15,004 - Read my lips. - (crowd cheering) 859 00:42:15,006 --> 00:42:18,001 No new taxes. 860 00:42:18,011 --> 00:42:19,025 Calder: No chance against George Bush, 861 00:42:19,027 --> 00:42:21,020 so George Bush became president... 862 00:42:21,022 --> 00:42:23,027 (fanfare playing) 863 00:42:24,007 --> 00:42:26,008 ...and his son became president later. 864 00:42:26,010 --> 00:42:28,003 We changed the course of histoy with that. 865 00:42:28,005 --> 00:42:30,005 Now, did we do well or not? I... 866 00:42:30,007 --> 00:42:33,020 That's not my problem. My problem is, we got the story. 867 00:42:35,013 --> 00:42:38,022 Auletta: The Gary Hart story busted down the privacy wall, 868 00:42:39,000 --> 00:42:42,008 just smithereens, just knocked it down and said, 869 00:42:42,021 --> 00:42:45,003 "We're gonna know everything about everyone," 870 00:42:45,010 --> 00:42:47,026 because it sold more papers. 871 00:42:48,003 --> 00:42:50,013 Rosenthal: I think it's important to journalists.. 872 00:42:51,019 --> 00:42:53,007 as to how they go after the story, 873 00:42:53,009 --> 00:42:56,011 as to what they see themselves. Are they news gatherers? 874 00:42:56,013 --> 00:42:59,009 Are they private eyes? Are they voyeurs? 875 00:43:07,006 --> 00:43:09,011 Sternig: Mr. Pope died in 1988. 876 00:43:10,012 --> 00:43:11,029 Then there was a limbo period 877 00:43:12,001 --> 00:43:15,019 where things were just kind of very tense... 878 00:43:17,028 --> 00:43:20,004 and everybody was thrown into a state 879 00:43:20,006 --> 00:43:23,005 of complete uncertainty. "What's gonna happen? 880 00:43:23,007 --> 00:43:24,014 Will the paper keep going?" 881 00:43:24,022 --> 00:43:26,027 Certainly, it was not going to go on the way 882 00:43:26,029 --> 00:43:28,004 Mr. Pope ran it, 883 00:43:28,013 --> 00:43:31,006 because Mr. Pope owned a 100 percent of the newspaper, 884 00:43:31,008 --> 00:43:34,014 and he got what he wanted the way he wanted it. 885 00:43:39,009 --> 00:43:44,002 Brenna: He had built a world in which he was God, 886 00:43:44,018 --> 00:43:46,017 and it was a small world 887 00:43:46,019 --> 00:43:49,016 populated by adoring figures and people 888 00:43:49,018 --> 00:43:53,004 who would do anything at his command. 889 00:43:55,007 --> 00:43:58,013 Pope II: Basically, we're giving the public a little hope, 890 00:43:58,019 --> 00:44:00,025 a little hope that life isn't all 891 00:44:01,003 --> 00:44:02,028 as bad as it's portrayed. 892 00:44:04,020 --> 00:44:06,023 We like to tell people that their problems 893 00:44:06,025 --> 00:44:09,005 are solvable. There are solutions. 894 00:44:09,020 --> 00:44:13,004 Uh, things aren't quite as bad as they might seem. 895 00:44:15,001 --> 00:44:16,026 We lost our identity... 896 00:44:17,014 --> 00:44:19,026 after Pope died. We forgot who we were. 897 00:44:20,008 --> 00:44:23,001 We had so many changes of ownership and leadership, 898 00:44:23,010 --> 00:44:25,029 every one of them wanting to change something. 899 00:44:26,024 --> 00:44:28,026 TheEnquirerhad a perfect formula, 900 00:44:29,008 --> 00:44:32,009 and in my opinion, they should've been left alone. 901 00:44:38,002 --> 00:44:41,021 Is it entertainment, or is it information? 902 00:44:42,002 --> 00:44:44,024 Hubbard: I think it's both, and I think a good newspaper 903 00:44:44,026 --> 00:44:46,017 is a combination of entertainment 904 00:44:46,024 --> 00:44:47,028 and information. 905 00:44:48,000 --> 00:44:50,015 One of my concerns is that it dilutes 906 00:44:50,017 --> 00:44:52,020 the news-gathering process broadly 907 00:44:52,026 --> 00:44:55,012 and that in the long run, it affects me because... 908 00:44:56,004 --> 00:44:57,029 my publisher or Jack's publisher says, 909 00:44:58,001 --> 00:44:59,027 "Oh, look at this stuff. It's hot. It really sells. 910 00:44:59,029 --> 00:45:02,002 Don't you think you ought to be moving a little more away 911 00:45:02,004 --> 00:45:04,024 from this boring Sino-Soviet Summit stuff?" 912 00:45:04,026 --> 00:45:06,019 Hewitt: You're forgetting something. 913 00:45:06,021 --> 00:45:09,010 There's nobody in this room who doesn't deal in tragedy. 914 00:45:09,016 --> 00:45:10,017 Nobody in this room... 915 00:45:10,023 --> 00:45:12,016 How do you think America found out 916 00:45:12,018 --> 00:45:14,001 about Jessica Hahn 917 00:45:14,003 --> 00:45:16,004 - and Jimmy Swaggart? - Donahue: But that's not trash. 918 00:45:16,006 --> 00:45:18,005 That's... that's a great story! 919 00:45:18,011 --> 00:45:20,010 Why don't we just acknowledge that's what it is. 920 00:45:20,012 --> 00:45:22,025 (audience laughing and applauding) 921 00:45:29,001 --> 00:45:31,003 Coz: The very first time Donald Trump 922 00:45:31,010 --> 00:45:33,004 made a large presence 923 00:45:33,006 --> 00:45:34,021 on the cover of the National Enquirer 924 00:45:35,000 --> 00:45:36,020 was the Marla Maples years. 925 00:45:37,008 --> 00:45:40,005 We got a picture of Donald on the ski slopes 926 00:45:40,007 --> 00:45:42,027 with Marla Maples and his wife, Ivana, 927 00:45:42,029 --> 00:45:44,018 all in the same frame. 928 00:45:45,012 --> 00:45:46,022 Titillated America. 929 00:45:46,029 --> 00:45:48,021 Regan: It was the heartache and the betrayal, 930 00:45:48,023 --> 00:45:51,005 and he's cheating, and they're on ski slopes, 931 00:45:51,007 --> 00:45:52,019 and he's bringing the mistress, 932 00:45:52,027 --> 00:45:54,017 and the mistress is in the hotel room over here, 933 00:45:54,019 --> 00:45:56,009 and the wife is in the hotel room over there. 934 00:45:56,022 --> 00:45:59,016 It's a great story, right? Everybody loves it. 935 00:46:06,009 --> 00:46:09,021 Bernstein: This Marla Maples- Donald Trump story 936 00:46:10,003 --> 00:46:13,022 was occurring at the same time that Nelson Mandela 937 00:46:14,007 --> 00:46:15,018 was being released 938 00:46:15,020 --> 00:46:18,029 from his years in the South African gulag. 939 00:46:19,007 --> 00:46:20,021 - (crowd cheering) - Bernstein: An event 940 00:46:20,023 --> 00:46:23,027 of tremendous importance to the world. 941 00:46:25,028 --> 00:46:29,008 This was the purest example of the movement 942 00:46:29,014 --> 00:46:33,014 from tabloids into the mainstream press. 943 00:46:35,004 --> 00:46:37,029 And it also tells us something about Donald Trump 944 00:46:38,005 --> 00:46:42,012 and his rise through the sensationalist press. 945 00:46:42,014 --> 00:46:45,008 - (woman speaking indistinctly) - Trump: I don't know. 946 00:46:45,015 --> 00:46:48,014 Lambiet: The biggest tipster ever in the business 947 00:46:48,016 --> 00:46:50,004 was Donald Trump. 948 00:46:50,018 --> 00:46:52,021 He would call the tabloids in New York 949 00:46:52,028 --> 00:46:55,028 to drop gossip items about himself. 950 00:46:56,000 --> 00:46:57,016 Trump: 951 00:46:58,000 --> 00:46:59,004 woman: 952 00:46:59,006 --> 00:47:01,003 Trump: 953 00:47:02,028 --> 00:47:04,011 woman: Right. Okay. 954 00:47:04,013 --> 00:47:06,019 He's had pseudonyms where'd he call and pretend 955 00:47:06,021 --> 00:47:08,028 that he was a spokesperson. 956 00:47:09,000 --> 00:47:10,019 - woman: - Trump: 957 00:47:10,021 --> 00:47:12,008 woman: 958 00:47:12,010 --> 00:47:13,007 Trump: 959 00:47:13,009 --> 00:47:15,004 He really wanted to be a star. 960 00:47:15,006 --> 00:47:16,025 woman: 961 00:47:17,002 --> 00:47:18,029 Trump: 962 00:47:23,001 --> 00:47:24,004 - woman: - Trump: 963 00:47:24,006 --> 00:47:25,022 - Do you have a second? - woman: 964 00:47:27,005 --> 00:47:29,012 We recognized that Donald Trump had value 965 00:47:29,014 --> 00:47:30,021 to the National Enquirer 966 00:47:31,000 --> 00:47:32,015 because he could sell newspapers. 967 00:47:33,001 --> 00:47:36,017 Brenna: He's a very, very good snake-oil salesman, 968 00:47:36,024 --> 00:47:40,001 and he fit very well with the Enquirer. 969 00:47:40,026 --> 00:47:42,024 Coz: Our readers liked him, so we put 970 00:47:42,026 --> 00:47:44,003 a gentleman in charge of him, 971 00:47:44,005 --> 00:47:45,026 and the gentleman's name was Larry Haley, 972 00:47:46,006 --> 00:47:47,027 and Larry's job was basically 973 00:47:48,005 --> 00:47:50,000 to keep track of Donald's love life. 974 00:47:50,023 --> 00:47:52,010 I was offered the use of his plane 975 00:47:52,012 --> 00:47:54,023 from West Palm Beach to New York and back 976 00:47:54,025 --> 00:47:55,026 on the weekends, 977 00:47:56,012 --> 00:47:58,015 comps at all the hotels, you name it. 978 00:47:58,017 --> 00:47:59,021 Never took one of them. 979 00:48:00,002 --> 00:48:02,020 Only thing I ever took from him was a can of Diet Coke 980 00:48:02,022 --> 00:48:04,007 at a party at Mar-a-Lago. 981 00:48:11,015 --> 00:48:14,005 I think that I probably was being looked at 982 00:48:14,007 --> 00:48:16,023 like a public-relations operation... 983 00:48:17,013 --> 00:48:20,002 for him, you know, just by manipulating 984 00:48:20,012 --> 00:48:22,003 our interest in his celebrity. 985 00:48:23,023 --> 00:48:26,018 And it was the constant, 6:00 a.m. phone calls. 986 00:48:27,007 --> 00:48:28,024 You know, I started feeling very quickly 987 00:48:28,026 --> 00:48:30,004 that I'm working for this guy, 988 00:48:30,006 --> 00:48:31,022 but I'm not being paid by this guy, 989 00:48:31,024 --> 00:48:33,009 and I had to remind him I don't work for him. 990 00:48:34,014 --> 00:48:35,027 Trump married Marla, 991 00:48:36,003 --> 00:48:39,002 and the two Enquirerreporters were VIP invitees 992 00:48:39,004 --> 00:48:40,029 - at the wedding. - (crowd cheering) 993 00:48:41,009 --> 00:48:43,011 - (indistinct chattering) - I'm happy and excited, 994 00:48:43,013 --> 00:48:45,015 and it's the wedding of the century. (laughs) 995 00:48:45,017 --> 00:48:47,018 - It'll be good. - woman 1: Thank you, Robin. 996 00:48:48,002 --> 00:48:49,013 Simpson: Everybody in the country 997 00:48:49,021 --> 00:48:51,014 believes that maybe their relationship could work 998 00:48:51,016 --> 00:48:53,007 if this relationship will work, you know, 999 00:48:53,009 --> 00:48:54,024 with all the things that they've gone through, 1000 00:48:54,026 --> 00:48:56,002 and I think this will work. 1001 00:48:56,004 --> 00:48:57,021 - woman 1: Okay. - I give it four months. 1002 00:48:57,023 --> 00:48:59,002 (woman laughing) 1003 00:48:59,008 --> 00:49:00,022 - man: Howard! - (camera shutter clicking) 1004 00:49:00,024 --> 00:49:02,024 - (man indistinct chatter) - woman 2: Donald! 1005 00:49:03,013 --> 00:49:07,024 (indistinct chattering) 1006 00:49:08,005 --> 00:49:09,017 (camera shutter clicking) 1007 00:49:13,014 --> 00:49:14,025 Haley: I was there that night. 1008 00:49:14,027 --> 00:49:16,020 I was confronted by Marla Maples, 1009 00:49:17,000 --> 00:49:19,028 and she was telling me that she had gone after Donald 1010 00:49:20,000 --> 00:49:22,000 and got him, and she was Mrs. Trump. 1011 00:49:22,008 --> 00:49:23,027 I said, "Well, I can't argue with any of that," 1012 00:49:23,029 --> 00:49:26,004 but, you know, basically, she disliked me greatly, 1013 00:49:26,014 --> 00:49:29,007 because of a lot of the stuff we revealed about her. 1014 00:49:31,010 --> 00:49:34,011 But Trump never got upset. Even when they were married, 1015 00:49:34,026 --> 00:49:36,018 as long as it wasn't about him, he was okay. 1016 00:49:36,020 --> 00:49:38,028 He would throw Marla under the bus in a second 1017 00:49:39,000 --> 00:49:41,001 to not have a bad publicity himself 1018 00:49:41,009 --> 00:49:43,011 - and did more than once. - (indistinct chattering) 1019 00:49:43,013 --> 00:49:44,022 female reporter: The Donald-Marla affair 1020 00:49:44,024 --> 00:49:46,017 had everything money, power, 1021 00:49:46,019 --> 00:49:49,024 a blonde bombshell, combined with catchy headlines 1022 00:49:49,026 --> 00:49:51,002 and family feud. 1023 00:49:51,004 --> 00:49:52,005 woman: Are you two back together? 1024 00:49:52,014 --> 00:49:54,015 Well, we are right now, aren't we, hon? 1025 00:49:54,025 --> 00:49:56,010 - (laughs) - Um... um... 1026 00:49:56,016 --> 00:49:58,024 Haley: He was a guy we wanted stories from. 1027 00:49:58,026 --> 00:50:00,014 At the same time, he was studying 1028 00:50:00,016 --> 00:50:04,016 how we took things, put them into headlines, 1029 00:50:04,027 --> 00:50:07,029 and sold them to this common-man audience. 1030 00:50:08,009 --> 00:50:10,027 He wanted to use us as a microphone 1031 00:50:10,029 --> 00:50:12,027 to a different group of people. 1032 00:50:13,012 --> 00:50:16,012 Coz: The American public starts to become emotionally attached 1033 00:50:16,014 --> 00:50:18,014 and wants to see what's happening next 1034 00:50:18,016 --> 00:50:21,004 with this particular celebrity, and he had crossed that line. 1035 00:50:21,010 --> 00:50:23,016 People now wanted to know about Donald Trump. 1036 00:50:30,027 --> 00:50:32,020 Bernstein: We've always had in this county 1037 00:50:32,022 --> 00:50:35,009 a kind of seamy underside of the news business. 1038 00:50:35,011 --> 00:50:37,009 Tabloids. You know, there's nothing new about it. 1039 00:50:37,011 --> 00:50:39,013 - man 1: Exactly. - Bernstein: And our agenda 1040 00:50:39,015 --> 00:50:41,003 at newspapers and magazines 1041 00:50:41,005 --> 00:50:43,009 is increasingly these guys' agenda. 1042 00:50:43,011 --> 00:50:44,025 Dunleavy: But we all have the same boss. 1043 00:50:44,027 --> 00:50:48,004 It's the public, and if we continue 1044 00:50:48,006 --> 00:50:50,028 this Columbia School of Journalism rhetoric, 1045 00:50:51,011 --> 00:50:53,002 this rag rhetoric which says, 1046 00:50:53,013 --> 00:50:55,005 "People should... shouldn't be reporting that. 1047 00:50:55,007 --> 00:50:57,019 They shouldn't be jamming this down people's throats." 1048 00:50:57,021 --> 00:51:00,020 - My God, let the public decide. - man 2: It's also very... 1049 00:51:00,022 --> 00:51:02,005 - Let the public decide! - Walker: You're looking down 1050 00:51:02,007 --> 00:51:03,010 your nose at the public. 1051 00:51:03,023 --> 00:51:05,008 The public has a right to know what it wants to know. 1052 00:51:05,010 --> 00:51:06,023 Now, now, your point's well-taken, but... 1053 00:51:06,025 --> 00:51:08,015 We don't all have to be porn publishers. 1054 00:51:08,017 --> 00:51:09,025 All right. But why... 1055 00:51:10,003 --> 00:51:12,001 No, I don't think that it's porn to publish a story 1056 00:51:12,003 --> 00:51:13,015 - about Tonya Harding - (all clamoring) 1057 00:51:13,017 --> 00:51:14,025 or Michael Jackson. 1058 00:51:14,027 --> 00:51:16,005 Whoever wants to put that out there 1059 00:51:16,007 --> 00:51:17,024 to sell papers, what's wrong with it? 1060 00:51:17,026 --> 00:51:20,024 Because if the lowest common denominator 1061 00:51:20,026 --> 00:51:23,004 is gonna drive the journalistic market, 1062 00:51:23,006 --> 00:51:24,024 - we're in big trouble. - Connie Chung... 1063 00:51:24,026 --> 00:51:26,008 Rose: Let him finish. I'll come back to you, Mike. 1064 00:51:26,018 --> 00:51:28,001 Bernstein: But let me finish. Something has tipped. 1065 00:51:31,014 --> 00:51:33,002 Coz: People come out and criticize us. 1066 00:51:33,004 --> 00:51:34,028 They call us lowlifes of journalism, 1067 00:51:35,004 --> 00:51:37,017 give us obnoxious anecdotal names. 1068 00:51:37,019 --> 00:51:39,026 We didn't care, and I still don't care. 1069 00:51:40,004 --> 00:51:42,024 We were very good at what we did. 1070 00:51:43,003 --> 00:51:45,026 Wallace: Steve Coz has been with theNational Enquirer 1071 00:51:45,028 --> 00:51:47,012 for 13 years now. 1072 00:51:47,027 --> 00:51:49,010 A little more than a month ago, 1073 00:51:49,012 --> 00:51:51,019 he was promoted to executive editor. 1074 00:51:52,009 --> 00:51:55,023 Virga: When Steve took over as editor in 1995, 1075 00:51:55,025 --> 00:51:59,025 it was just new blood willing to listen to new ideas. 1076 00:51:59,027 --> 00:52:01,005 Steve Coz brought 1077 00:52:01,014 --> 00:52:02,017 the National Enquirerout of the Stone Age. 1078 00:52:03,009 --> 00:52:05,017 And he brought a lot of credibility to the paper. 1079 00:52:06,009 --> 00:52:08,006 He didn't look like a scruffy, old guy 1080 00:52:08,008 --> 00:52:09,028 with a cigar hanging out of his mouth. 1081 00:52:10,000 --> 00:52:12,022 He was Ivy League, dresses in his little polo shirts. 1082 00:52:12,028 --> 00:52:14,008 He looks polished. 1083 00:52:14,010 --> 00:52:15,027 You could have gone to Timemagazine 1084 00:52:15,029 --> 00:52:17,015 and seen somebody who looked just like Steve Coz. 1085 00:52:18,009 --> 00:52:19,012 Haley: You know, he went to Harvard, 1086 00:52:19,014 --> 00:52:20,025 but he wasn't that button-down. 1087 00:52:21,005 --> 00:52:22,025 He reminded me of, like, 1088 00:52:23,001 --> 00:52:25,002 a guy who'd been a part-time bartender 1089 00:52:25,004 --> 00:52:26,004 in Nantucket. 1090 00:52:26,013 --> 00:52:28,023 (chuckles) Old-timers from the U.K., 1091 00:52:29,005 --> 00:52:31,015 uh, yes, I think we all grinned a bit. 1092 00:52:31,025 --> 00:52:35,003 We said, "My God, we're working for a schoolboy now", you know? 1093 00:52:36,015 --> 00:52:38,004 Shipp: TheEnquirer, for the most part, 1094 00:52:38,006 --> 00:52:40,028 was all white people. They had no minorities. 1095 00:52:41,000 --> 00:52:44,018 They were these old Brits and old white guys 1096 00:52:44,020 --> 00:52:49,015 who didn't see women or minorities of any importance. 1097 00:52:49,021 --> 00:52:51,016 We had to go in and fight our way. 1098 00:52:55,015 --> 00:52:56,026 He encouraged diversity. 1099 00:52:57,009 --> 00:52:59,015 He encouraged out-of-the-box thinking. 1100 00:52:59,017 --> 00:53:01,003 He was a person who knew 1101 00:53:01,005 --> 00:53:04,022 that growth depended on... coming of age. 1102 00:53:09,002 --> 00:53:12,006 I was brought in to help visualize 1103 00:53:12,021 --> 00:53:14,027 what black readership would like to see. 1104 00:53:17,020 --> 00:53:20,010 It opened up the playing field of who we could go after. 1105 00:53:20,012 --> 00:53:22,003 It's not the just the same people all the time. 1106 00:53:22,005 --> 00:53:24,000 - crowd: (cheering) Oh, yeah! - Shipp: And Oprah Winfrey 1107 00:53:24,002 --> 00:53:25,007 made the difference. 1108 00:53:25,018 --> 00:53:27,028 She went across all color lines. 1109 00:53:28,008 --> 00:53:30,025 Women bought the Enquirermore than anybody, 1110 00:53:31,006 --> 00:53:32,028 and women loved Oprah. 1111 00:53:33,015 --> 00:53:37,025 Oprah was on the cover, gosh, at least once or twice a month. 1112 00:53:38,026 --> 00:53:40,013 Oprah sold a lot of papers. 1113 00:53:41,018 --> 00:53:43,016 Whitney Houston sold a lot of papers, 1114 00:53:43,028 --> 00:53:46,022 not because of her talent but because of her drug use. 1115 00:53:47,002 --> 00:53:48,016 She became front page. 1116 00:53:50,015 --> 00:53:53,006 Somebody like Michael Jackson broke all stereotypes, 1117 00:53:53,008 --> 00:53:56,023 - all color lines, everything. - (crowd cheering) 1118 00:54:00,002 --> 00:54:01,016 Shipp: Everybody loved Michael. 1119 00:54:01,018 --> 00:54:03,022 But we started hearing a lot of stories. 1120 00:54:04,008 --> 00:54:05,028 We have family members that called, 1121 00:54:06,004 --> 00:54:07,015 close family members that called 1122 00:54:07,017 --> 00:54:09,014 and told us what was going on with him. 1123 00:54:10,013 --> 00:54:14,014 So we were able to bring in, stories that nobody else had. 1124 00:54:19,012 --> 00:54:21,012 Haberman: I think theEnquirer has become an emblem 1125 00:54:21,014 --> 00:54:23,000 and a symbol for some people 1126 00:54:23,002 --> 00:54:25,016 of a certain type of journalism in this country. 1127 00:54:26,001 --> 00:54:27,026 I think it is important to note the National Enquirer 1128 00:54:27,028 --> 00:54:31,009 has also gotten some stories really right. 1129 00:54:31,018 --> 00:54:33,022 - (phone beeps) - operator: 1130 00:54:33,024 --> 00:54:35,012 Brown: 1131 00:54:38,023 --> 00:54:39,026 operator: 1132 00:54:39,028 --> 00:54:42,018 Brown: 1133 00:54:43,025 --> 00:54:46,010 The newspapers used to say, "Yeah. You get exclusives, 1134 00:54:46,012 --> 00:54:48,027 but if we were up against you, face-to-face, 1135 00:54:48,029 --> 00:54:51,002 mano a mano,we would beat the hell out of you." 1136 00:54:51,012 --> 00:54:54,003 Well, okay. O.J. Simpson was the test. 1137 00:54:54,009 --> 00:54:56,012 On 911 tapes just released last night, 1138 00:54:56,014 --> 00:55:00,008 O.J. Simpson could be heard screaming about a 1993 article 1139 00:55:00,010 --> 00:55:01,018 in the National Enquirer. 1140 00:55:01,020 --> 00:55:03,008 Simpson: 1141 00:55:07,019 --> 00:55:09,006 female reporter: Enquirer editors say, 1142 00:55:09,008 --> 00:55:10,028 they have been following abuse allegations 1143 00:55:11,000 --> 00:55:14,014 against the former football superstar since 1989. 1144 00:55:16,029 --> 00:55:18,014 Los Angeles police have been talking 1145 00:55:18,016 --> 00:55:21,004 to former pro football star O.J. Simpson today 1146 00:55:21,006 --> 00:55:22,018 after the death of his ex-wife 1147 00:55:22,020 --> 00:55:25,004 and a 26-year-old man early this morning. 1148 00:55:25,026 --> 00:55:27,026 Coz: When the Simpson murders occurred, 1149 00:55:28,005 --> 00:55:30,004 we knew this was a seminal moment, 1150 00:55:30,010 --> 00:55:32,000 uh, for the National Enquirer. 1151 00:55:32,019 --> 00:55:34,016 We already had huge networks in place 1152 00:55:34,018 --> 00:55:36,000 in the celebrity community, 1153 00:55:36,009 --> 00:55:38,019 and this occurred in the middle of one of our networks, 1154 00:55:38,021 --> 00:55:42,011 so, we immediately put every last resource into it. 1155 00:55:42,017 --> 00:55:45,000 While the Los Angeles Times has four reporters working 1156 00:55:45,002 --> 00:55:46,015 on the O.J. Simpson story, 1157 00:55:46,022 --> 00:55:49,005 the National Enquirer has a team of more than 20. 1158 00:55:50,001 --> 00:55:51,012 Coz: We were at the crime scene 1159 00:55:51,014 --> 00:55:53,006 before the coroner arrived there. 1160 00:55:53,026 --> 00:55:56,003 We brought in freelancers. We went 1161 00:55:56,005 --> 00:55:58,018 to every single photographer we knew in L.A. 1162 00:55:58,020 --> 00:56:00,015 and told them that we would pay them 1163 00:56:00,017 --> 00:56:01,022 any amount of money 1164 00:56:02,002 --> 00:56:03,029 for any photographs they thought were relevant. 1165 00:56:04,029 --> 00:56:08,004 George: We spent easily over a million dollars in soure 1166 00:56:08,006 --> 00:56:09,012 and photographic money. 1167 00:56:10,002 --> 00:56:14,013 The Enquirer'stentacles were amazing in those days. 1168 00:56:14,022 --> 00:56:16,005 From Florida all the way to L.A., 1169 00:56:16,007 --> 00:56:18,005 we were all involved in that story. 1170 00:56:18,016 --> 00:56:20,004 male reporter: Homicide detectives expanded 1171 00:56:20,006 --> 00:56:22,013 the restricted area around Nicole Simpson's 1172 00:56:22,015 --> 00:56:23,023 townhouse today. 1173 00:56:24,008 --> 00:56:27,009 Nicole's father, Louis, and one of her sisters also arrived 1174 00:56:27,011 --> 00:56:29,010 and removed some personal belongings. 1175 00:56:29,017 --> 00:56:33,003 We had a reporter who was in really tight 1176 00:56:33,012 --> 00:56:34,017 with Nicole's family. 1177 00:56:34,028 --> 00:56:37,001 He was dating both the daughters. 1178 00:56:37,018 --> 00:56:38,027 Haley: We had other people 1179 00:56:39,007 --> 00:56:40,029 who had contacts with the Goldman family, 1180 00:56:41,001 --> 00:56:44,014 including Ron Goldman's mother who lived in St. Louis. 1181 00:56:44,016 --> 00:56:45,024 Coz: We also had a network 1182 00:56:46,002 --> 00:56:48,007 into some of O.J. Simpson's fellow athletes 1183 00:56:48,014 --> 00:56:51,011 and, don't forget, O.J. Simpson's friends. 1184 00:56:51,013 --> 00:56:53,007 We had a very good working relationshp 1185 00:56:53,009 --> 00:56:54,018 with the police. 1186 00:56:54,024 --> 00:56:56,011 We had moles in the prosecutor's office, 1187 00:56:56,013 --> 00:56:58,006 and we had jailhouse sources, as well. 1188 00:56:58,012 --> 00:57:00,000 Calder: We knew what he was saying. 1189 00:57:00,002 --> 00:57:01,006 We knew where he went to the bathroom. 1190 00:57:01,018 --> 00:57:03,007 I mean, we had everything. 1191 00:57:03,009 --> 00:57:07,002 We had it totally wired from beginning to end, 1192 00:57:07,011 --> 00:57:08,013 and it sold. 1193 00:57:08,022 --> 00:57:11,001 Everyone in the country was riveted by this. 1194 00:57:11,003 --> 00:57:12,025 Now the National Enquirer is competing 1195 00:57:12,027 --> 00:57:15,011 with the mainstream press, often beating rivals 1196 00:57:15,013 --> 00:57:17,017 to the punch on big headline stories. 1197 00:57:17,019 --> 00:57:18,029 male news reporter: A lot of the details, 1198 00:57:19,009 --> 00:57:21,028 uh, that have later turned up, uh, in Newsweek 1199 00:57:22,000 --> 00:57:23,016 or on other television shows 1200 00:57:23,018 --> 00:57:25,008 have first been reported in theEnquirer. 1201 00:57:27,000 --> 00:57:31,010 George: Our stories showed more details on that crime 1202 00:57:31,017 --> 00:57:33,000 than any other publication. 1203 00:57:33,010 --> 00:57:36,007 We were constantly on it. It was like a soap opera. 1204 00:57:36,009 --> 00:57:38,021 You just stay on them, and anything you heard today, 1205 00:57:38,023 --> 00:57:40,005 "What's going on with him now?" 1206 00:57:40,014 --> 00:57:42,006 Haberman: It was a story that riveted the nation. 1207 00:57:42,008 --> 00:57:45,028 It was one of the first cable-news national melodramas, 1208 00:57:46,000 --> 00:57:48,007 so people were glued to their television sets, 1209 00:57:48,009 --> 00:57:49,023 and the National Enquirer, essentially, 1210 00:57:49,025 --> 00:57:51,024 was a paper version of a T.V. 1211 00:57:51,026 --> 00:57:53,009 People had to follow them. 1212 00:57:53,011 --> 00:57:55,008 It was impossible to ignore them. 1213 00:57:55,010 --> 00:57:57,018 Tesh: TheEnquirer's Coz says, not only do readers love 1214 00:57:57,020 --> 00:58:00,004 their O.J. articles, but their commitment to coverae 1215 00:58:00,006 --> 00:58:01,013 has brought new respect. 1216 00:58:01,019 --> 00:58:04,008 This is a fascinating, interesting story. 1217 00:58:04,018 --> 00:58:06,002 The conventional press 1218 00:58:06,004 --> 00:58:08,021 is basically come into the tabloid territory, 1219 00:58:09,004 --> 00:58:11,013 and, uh, they've come to appreciate us. 1220 00:58:14,001 --> 00:58:17,009 (camera shutter clicking) 1221 00:58:17,019 --> 00:58:19,023 Simpson: The Bruno Magli makes shoes 1222 00:58:20,025 --> 00:58:22,013 that looked the shoe that they had in court 1223 00:58:22,015 --> 00:58:24,000 that's involved in this case. 1224 00:58:24,019 --> 00:58:26,022 I would have never worn those ugly-ass shoes. 1225 00:58:30,009 --> 00:58:33,009 Enquirerreporters were digging out material 1226 00:58:33,011 --> 00:58:36,001 that the establishment press had missed. 1227 00:58:36,026 --> 00:58:38,009 Haberman: There was a key moment 1228 00:58:38,011 --> 00:58:40,013 where evidence and the existence of it 1229 00:58:40,015 --> 00:58:42,017 was broken by theNational Enquirer. 1230 00:58:43,010 --> 00:58:46,024 It had to be followed by most of the major publications 1231 00:58:46,026 --> 00:58:48,000 in the country. 1232 00:58:48,015 --> 00:58:50,016 Haley: A kid from Boulder sends me this Polaroid picture 1233 00:58:50,026 --> 00:58:53,029 of this washed-out, chain-link fence 1234 00:58:54,007 --> 00:58:56,002 and this tiny, little stick figure 1235 00:58:56,004 --> 00:58:57,003 way in the back, 1236 00:58:57,017 --> 00:58:59,010 and he says, "Maybe you can blow this up 1237 00:58:59,012 --> 00:59:02,011 and see if O.J.'s wearing the murder shoes," 1238 00:59:02,018 --> 00:59:05,020 something that the investigators during the murder trial 1239 00:59:05,022 --> 00:59:06,025 had not done. 1240 00:59:07,003 --> 00:59:11,006 Finding the Bruno Magli shoes on O.J.'s feet 1241 00:59:11,016 --> 00:59:12,023 was a mission, 1242 00:59:13,020 --> 00:59:15,024 and every single person in the newsroom 1243 00:59:15,026 --> 00:59:17,015 was involved in that to some degree. 1244 00:59:17,025 --> 00:59:20,011 Coz: O.J. said, "I never wore those ugly-ass things." 1245 00:59:20,022 --> 00:59:24,004 So we spent three months and tens of thousands of dollars 1246 00:59:24,006 --> 00:59:26,012 hiring every sports photographer we could 1247 00:59:26,018 --> 00:59:29,008 to go look through their old negatives. 1248 00:59:30,007 --> 00:59:33,011 Virga: Every photographer who shot every NFL game 1249 00:59:33,013 --> 00:59:37,020 that O.J. had been at, we called one by one, 1250 00:59:37,022 --> 00:59:40,024 slowly but surely, all of them and asked them to look. 1251 00:59:43,013 --> 00:59:45,003 Larry Haley found the guy. 1252 00:59:45,012 --> 00:59:47,019 About a thousand cops were trying to link 1253 00:59:47,021 --> 00:59:49,011 the shoes with O.J. Simpson. 1254 00:59:49,013 --> 00:59:50,019 Mainly, they were trying to do it 1255 00:59:50,021 --> 00:59:52,008 through finding a purchase. 1256 00:59:52,024 --> 00:59:54,012 They were right there in Buffalo. 1257 00:59:55,008 --> 00:59:56,029 And there wasn't just one of them. 1258 00:59:58,008 --> 01:00:00,010 There was a whole frame of O.J. Simpson 1259 01:00:00,012 --> 01:00:03,010 walking on the sidelines where you can see that sole 1260 01:00:03,012 --> 01:00:05,007 that left the footprints in blood 1261 01:00:05,009 --> 01:00:09,014 around Nicole Brown's head, right there on that picture. 1262 01:00:10,009 --> 01:00:12,028 Virga: It was... it was like finding the Holy Grail. 1263 01:00:14,003 --> 01:00:15,009 It was so exciting. 1264 01:00:15,019 --> 01:00:17,012 It was like we really did something now 1265 01:00:17,014 --> 01:00:18,018 that made a difference. 1266 01:00:18,025 --> 01:00:20,018 Haley: O.J. Simpson and his attorneys, 1267 01:00:20,020 --> 01:00:23,008 when we ran that, were saying that we made this up, 1268 01:00:23,010 --> 01:00:25,020 that we put the shoes on his feet, right? 1269 01:00:26,003 --> 01:00:30,001 Three other photographers had pictures from the same game 1270 01:00:30,003 --> 01:00:31,025 of O.J. wearing the same shoes. 1271 01:00:32,008 --> 01:00:34,021 Haley: We also had 33 other pictures taken 1272 01:00:34,023 --> 01:00:37,019 in two different locations, one in Pittsburgh 1273 01:00:37,021 --> 01:00:39,026 where he was getting his shoes shined, 1274 01:00:40,014 --> 01:00:42,010 after a sideline commentary 1275 01:00:42,024 --> 01:00:46,002 in the basement of the hotel across from the stadium. 1276 01:00:46,004 --> 01:00:47,023 That image was used 1277 01:00:47,025 --> 01:00:51,004 as the major evidence against O.J. Simpson. 1278 01:00:53,006 --> 01:00:56,016 Coz: It won the Goldman family and Nicole's family... 1279 01:00:56,018 --> 01:00:58,025 - the civil trial - (crowd cheering) 1280 01:00:59,010 --> 01:01:01,026 Coz: ...because O.J. was found guilty based upon 1281 01:01:01,028 --> 01:01:04,013 that photo of him in the Bruno Magli shoes. 1282 01:01:04,019 --> 01:01:07,018 (cheering continues) 1283 01:01:13,017 --> 01:01:17,003 Those ugly-ass shoes changed the Enquirerimmensely, 1284 01:01:17,005 --> 01:01:21,005 because that's one of the times that the mainstream media 1285 01:01:21,007 --> 01:01:23,024 had to give us credit, because they were there. 1286 01:01:24,017 --> 01:01:26,004 You know, if you just kept plugging away, 1287 01:01:26,006 --> 01:01:28,010 if you kept digging, you would have found them, too. 1288 01:01:28,017 --> 01:01:31,016 The mainstream guys suddenly said, "Uh-oh. 1289 01:01:32,001 --> 01:01:34,011 We wish they'd stayed with UFOs." 1290 01:01:37,000 --> 01:01:39,027 The establishment press finally had to admit 1291 01:01:40,006 --> 01:01:43,026 that they were being beaten by a sleazy supermarket tabloid. 1292 01:01:44,025 --> 01:01:47,018 Any newspaper in America would like The New York Times 1293 01:01:47,020 --> 01:01:51,018 to call them the bible of a major story like this. 1294 01:01:51,027 --> 01:01:52,028 King: Why, um... 1295 01:01:53,010 --> 01:01:56,009 Walter, did you put Steve Coz and the... 1296 01:01:56,011 --> 01:01:57,025 and theNational Enquirer 1297 01:01:57,027 --> 01:02:00,018 among the 25 most influential figures 1298 01:02:00,020 --> 01:02:01,027 in this country? 1299 01:02:02,008 --> 01:02:04,018 Uh, the Enquirerhas broken a lot of stories. 1300 01:02:04,020 --> 01:02:06,003 They've changed a lot of the ways 1301 01:02:06,005 --> 01:02:07,024 they do their reporting and their fact-checking. 1302 01:02:07,026 --> 01:02:09,010 They've become more respectable, 1303 01:02:09,012 --> 01:02:10,028 and I think it began to seep in, 1304 01:02:11,000 --> 01:02:13,019 for better and worse, into the mainstream press, 1305 01:02:13,021 --> 01:02:15,002 what the tabloids do. 1306 01:02:15,012 --> 01:02:16,015 So, it... 1307 01:02:16,017 --> 01:02:17,023 it could have been for worse, too. 1308 01:02:18,009 --> 01:02:19,017 - Oh... - You could be influential 1309 01:02:19,019 --> 01:02:20,026 for worse. 1310 01:02:20,028 --> 01:02:22,019 male reporter: The line between tabloid 1311 01:02:22,021 --> 01:02:24,028 and mainstream journalism has become blurred. 1312 01:02:26,019 --> 01:02:28,025 You know, everyone talks about the mainstream press 1313 01:02:28,027 --> 01:02:30,020 versus the National Enquirer, but you remember, 1314 01:02:30,022 --> 01:02:32,015 the National Enquirer is the best-selling weekly 1315 01:02:32,017 --> 01:02:35,000 in America, so who's defining mainstream? 1316 01:02:35,002 --> 01:02:36,025 O.J. Simpson caused the wheels 1317 01:02:36,027 --> 01:02:38,016 of traditional journalism to fall off. 1318 01:02:38,018 --> 01:02:42,005 That... that's the moment when traditional journalism 1319 01:02:42,007 --> 01:02:45,029 begins this fast slide into tabloidism. 1320 01:02:47,026 --> 01:02:50,017 Princess Diana: As a parent, I want to protect children, 1321 01:02:50,024 --> 01:02:53,014 because I brought the children out here for a holiday, 1322 01:02:54,009 --> 01:02:55,027 Princess Diana: ...and we'd really appreciate 1323 01:02:55,029 --> 01:02:57,013 - the space. - man: I understand that. 1324 01:02:58,000 --> 01:03:00,028 Princess Diana: We've had 15 cameras following us today. 1325 01:03:07,002 --> 01:03:09,019 Coz: The National Enquirer was on this incredible roll. 1326 01:03:10,003 --> 01:03:14,022 We had O.J. Simpson, the JonBenet story, Cosby. 1327 01:03:15,003 --> 01:03:16,025 We had all these great stories. 1328 01:03:18,004 --> 01:03:20,020 And then in 1997, 1329 01:03:20,028 --> 01:03:24,012 uh, we have a cover out on the stands which says, 1330 01:03:24,014 --> 01:03:26,024 "Sex-mad Di, 'I can't get enough.'" 1331 01:03:30,005 --> 01:03:31,018 Virga: We didn't have the first pictures 1332 01:03:31,020 --> 01:03:34,006 of she and Dodi together. on the boat. 1333 01:03:34,016 --> 01:03:36,008 Um, another paper had gotten those, 1334 01:03:36,010 --> 01:03:38,002 so, we bought the second set of pictures 1335 01:03:38,004 --> 01:03:41,013 of she and Dodi on the boat, and published them. 1336 01:03:41,015 --> 01:03:44,020 Probably biggest mistake we ever made unknowingly. 1337 01:03:45,001 --> 01:03:46,008 We closed on a Friday night, 1338 01:03:46,014 --> 01:03:48,029 and we ran it pretty small on the side... 1339 01:03:50,008 --> 01:03:52,008 and that paper went to press. 1340 01:04:00,001 --> 01:04:03,006 And Di died that night in the car crash. 1341 01:04:03,015 --> 01:04:05,008 man: The car was traveling extremely fast 1342 01:04:05,010 --> 01:04:08,015 in an attempt to escape the attentions of the paparazz, 1343 01:04:08,017 --> 01:04:10,024 who were on motorcycles or scooters, 1344 01:04:10,026 --> 01:04:12,027 uh, for reasons we don't yet know. 1345 01:04:12,029 --> 01:04:14,019 male news reporter: The accident happened late at night 1346 01:04:14,021 --> 01:04:16,011 in a road tunnel in Paris. 1347 01:04:16,029 --> 01:04:18,015 An unconfirmed... 1348 01:04:19,009 --> 01:04:21,027 uh, source from the Press Association 1349 01:04:22,005 --> 01:04:25,015 is that Diana, Princess of Wales, has died. 1350 01:04:27,015 --> 01:04:30,010 Virga: Steve was immediately called by CNN, 1351 01:04:30,012 --> 01:04:32,005 and all this, everybody wanted to comment 1352 01:04:32,007 --> 01:04:34,013 because they were all saying the paparazzi were chasing them. 1353 01:04:47,027 --> 01:04:49,021 Virga: But because of that headline on the cover, 1354 01:04:49,027 --> 01:04:51,018 the Enquirerwas pulled 1355 01:04:52,000 --> 01:04:55,005 from every newsstand in America. 1356 01:04:56,001 --> 01:04:59,001 The Enquirerheadquarters in Lantana 1357 01:04:59,011 --> 01:05:01,020 was besieged by crowds 1358 01:05:01,022 --> 01:05:05,028 and crowds of people accusing s of killing Princess Diana. 1359 01:05:06,004 --> 01:05:09,018 (indistinct chatter) 1360 01:05:09,027 --> 01:05:11,010 The real cause of her death 1361 01:05:11,012 --> 01:05:13,027 was the drunken driver of her limousine, 1362 01:05:13,029 --> 01:05:17,021 but it was enough to get everyone believing 1363 01:05:17,027 --> 01:05:19,024 that it was the National Enquirer'sfault, 1364 01:05:19,026 --> 01:05:21,012 and we lost circulation. 1365 01:05:22,002 --> 01:05:23,029 Spencer: This is not a time for recriminations 1366 01:05:24,001 --> 01:05:25,003 but for sadness. 1367 01:05:25,014 --> 01:05:27,015 However, I would say that I always believed 1368 01:05:27,017 --> 01:05:29,012 the press would kill her in the end... 1369 01:05:29,023 --> 01:05:31,017 but not even I could imagine that they would take 1370 01:05:31,019 --> 01:05:34,029 such a direct hand in her death, as seems to be the case. 1371 01:05:35,018 --> 01:05:38,003 It would appear that every proprietor and editr 1372 01:05:38,009 --> 01:05:40,026 of every publication that has paid for intrusive 1373 01:05:40,028 --> 01:05:42,029 and exploitative photographs of her, 1374 01:05:43,005 --> 01:05:45,018 encouraging greedy and ruthless individuals 1375 01:05:45,020 --> 01:05:48,013 to risk everything in pursuit of Diana's image, 1376 01:05:48,019 --> 01:05:50,014 has blood on his hands today. 1377 01:06:01,008 --> 01:06:03,006 (indistinct chatter) 1378 01:06:03,008 --> 01:06:04,021 Clooney: Princess Di is dead, 1379 01:06:04,023 --> 01:06:06,018 and who should we see about that? 1380 01:06:08,014 --> 01:06:12,008 The driver of the car, the paparazzi, or the magazines 1381 01:06:12,010 --> 01:06:14,001 and papers who purchase these pictures 1382 01:06:14,003 --> 01:06:16,013 and make bounty hunters out of photographers? 1383 01:06:16,025 --> 01:06:18,018 Then it got very personal. 1384 01:06:18,020 --> 01:06:21,008 A-listers, like George Clooney for example, 1385 01:06:21,010 --> 01:06:24,001 and others pointing fingers and saying, 1386 01:06:24,003 --> 01:06:26,006 "Steve Coz, you have blood on your hands. 1387 01:06:26,008 --> 01:06:28,029 You're a murderer. You killed the Princess." 1388 01:06:29,006 --> 01:06:31,026 And as for you, Mr. Coz, and your colleagues, 1389 01:06:32,005 --> 01:06:36,006 the Princess of Wales is dead, and you have gone on television, 1390 01:06:36,008 --> 01:06:39,025 and you have washed your hands, and you have placed blame, 1391 01:06:40,003 --> 01:06:41,027 and you have deflected responsibility, 1392 01:06:41,029 --> 01:06:44,008 and yet I wonder how you sleep at night. 1393 01:06:44,016 --> 01:06:47,007 You should be ashamed. Thank you. 1394 01:06:47,026 --> 01:06:49,014 woman: Mr. Clooney, will there be questions? 1395 01:06:49,016 --> 01:06:51,005 I'm not going to, thank you. 1396 01:06:53,016 --> 01:06:56,028 To blame one institution, i.e. the National Enquirer, 1397 01:06:57,000 --> 01:06:59,027 for the paparazzis on the planet is ridiculous. 1398 01:06:59,029 --> 01:07:02,026 The paparazzi started and existed 1399 01:07:03,010 --> 01:07:05,010 before the National Enquirer existed. 1400 01:07:05,019 --> 01:07:07,015 - (indistinct chatter) - Coz: The thirst... 1401 01:07:07,027 --> 01:07:09,028 for private knowledge about the celebrities 1402 01:07:10,000 --> 01:07:11,024 is what fuels the paparazzi. 1403 01:07:11,026 --> 01:07:13,020 - woman: Oh, my God. - (crowd cheering) 1404 01:07:13,022 --> 01:07:14,028 We were, you know, 1405 01:07:15,000 --> 01:07:17,007 award-winning journalism for four years, 1406 01:07:17,009 --> 01:07:20,005 and now suddenly we were blamed for Princess Di's death, 1407 01:07:20,007 --> 01:07:22,001 and I personally was blamed. 1408 01:07:34,015 --> 01:07:38,006 The National Enquirer and their ilk believe 1409 01:07:38,008 --> 01:07:41,013 they have a right to intrude on your privacy, 1410 01:07:41,015 --> 01:07:44,007 and to make your private life public. 1411 01:07:44,015 --> 01:07:46,023 Does it sell newspapers? Does it sell magazines? 1412 01:07:46,025 --> 01:07:48,002 Of course it does, 1413 01:07:48,010 --> 01:07:50,022 but what are we doing to ourselves with that... 1414 01:07:51,012 --> 01:07:53,011 and what are we doing to these people? 1415 01:08:02,018 --> 01:08:05,010 Wallace: Because they are theNational Enquirer, 1416 01:08:05,012 --> 01:08:08,022 they flirt constantly with the danger of libel suits. 1417 01:08:08,024 --> 01:08:11,027 Several times a day, Executive Editor, Steve Coz 1418 01:08:11,029 --> 01:08:14,001 consults with the paper's lawyer, 1419 01:08:14,003 --> 01:08:16,005 a man by the name of David Kendall, 1420 01:08:16,007 --> 01:08:20,007 who also represents the President of the United States. 1421 01:08:20,016 --> 01:08:25,000 - (indistinct chatter) - man: Yeah! 1422 01:08:37,019 --> 01:08:40,008 We break stories. We go after news-makers. 1423 01:08:40,010 --> 01:08:43,021 We don't care if they're politicians or celebrities. 1424 01:08:43,023 --> 01:08:46,006 We cover newsmakers that we think Americans 1425 01:08:46,008 --> 01:08:47,015 want to read about. 1426 01:08:53,017 --> 01:08:55,003 female reporter: When are the reports 1427 01:08:55,005 --> 01:08:57,007 about an official's personal life valid, 1428 01:08:57,009 --> 01:08:58,019 and what is the impact 1429 01:08:58,021 --> 01:08:59,029 - on the public? - (indistinct chatter) 1430 01:09:00,001 --> 01:09:01,011 woman: What did I say to you guys? 1431 01:09:01,013 --> 01:09:02,028 We're not coming back. Move back. 1432 01:09:03,000 --> 01:09:04,018 male reporter 1: Have the media gone nuts 1433 01:09:04,024 --> 01:09:06,013 in covering this story, or is this one of those cases 1434 01:09:06,015 --> 01:09:08,011 where there is no such thing as too much? 1435 01:09:08,013 --> 01:09:10,015 (indistinct chatter) 1436 01:09:11,004 --> 01:09:12,027 male reporter 2: TheEnquirergetting the scoop 1437 01:09:12,029 --> 01:09:15,018 just weeks after rocking the establishment press 1438 01:09:15,020 --> 01:09:17,021 by breaking the story of what it called, 1439 01:09:17,023 --> 01:09:19,023 "Jesse Jackson's Love Child." 1440 01:09:21,018 --> 01:09:24,016 We didn't go after them. We didn't promote them. 1441 01:09:24,018 --> 01:09:26,002 We didn't stand up for them. 1442 01:09:26,004 --> 01:09:27,018 We didn't say, "Oh, vote for this guy," 1443 01:09:27,020 --> 01:09:29,012 or, "He's a good guy," or, "He's a bad guy." 1444 01:09:29,014 --> 01:09:31,005 They went out, and they did things 1445 01:09:31,007 --> 01:09:32,019 like cheat on their wife 1446 01:09:32,025 --> 01:09:35,019 and have affairs with interns or whatever. 1447 01:09:35,021 --> 01:09:37,025 And that's something that we reacted to, 1448 01:09:38,004 --> 01:09:40,003 'cause that's something people wanted to read. 1449 01:09:40,005 --> 01:09:41,012 (indistinct chatter) 1450 01:09:41,025 --> 01:09:43,020 We didn't say, "Oh, he's a Democrat. He's a Republican. 1451 01:09:43,022 --> 01:09:45,007 We're not gonna get this one. We'll leave him alone." 1452 01:09:45,021 --> 01:09:48,016 Believe me, if we had had George Bush doing blow, 1453 01:09:48,022 --> 01:09:50,001 we would've done it. 1454 01:09:51,006 --> 01:09:53,024 That changed when management changed. 1455 01:09:54,009 --> 01:09:57,001 That changed when David Pecker took over. 1456 01:09:58,024 --> 01:10:00,027 male reporter: Two of the nation's liveliest tabloid, 1457 01:10:00,029 --> 01:10:03,005 theNational Enquirer and theStar, 1458 01:10:03,007 --> 01:10:05,010 are being taken over by new owners 1459 01:10:05,012 --> 01:10:07,014 who want to extend the well-known titles 1460 01:10:07,016 --> 01:10:09,007 beyond the supermarket. 1461 01:10:10,002 --> 01:10:12,004 The first time I encountered David Pecker 1462 01:10:12,006 --> 01:10:16,004 was when he arose to the head of a French media company 1463 01:10:16,006 --> 01:10:18,000 calledHachette Filipacchi. 1464 01:10:18,002 --> 01:10:21,004 At that time, they hadCar and Driver andWoman's Day. 1465 01:10:21,006 --> 01:10:24,016 His most famous magazine was when he backed JFK Jr. 1466 01:10:24,018 --> 01:10:26,020 - inGeorgemagazine. - (crowd applauding, cheering) 1467 01:10:26,022 --> 01:10:29,005 Georgeis a magazine that understands 1468 01:10:29,007 --> 01:10:32,002 that culture is more powerful than politics. 1469 01:10:32,011 --> 01:10:34,020 The traditional lines between Democrats 1470 01:10:34,022 --> 01:10:36,018 and Republicans are disappearing. 1471 01:10:36,020 --> 01:10:38,017 The magazine they'll turn to 1472 01:10:38,019 --> 01:10:41,029 for a fresh, non-partisan perspective 1473 01:10:42,001 --> 01:10:43,008 will beGeorge. 1474 01:10:44,003 --> 01:10:47,001 Kelly: David Pecker insisted that he had to have pictures 1475 01:10:47,003 --> 01:10:49,012 of himself in with JFK Jr. 1476 01:10:50,002 --> 01:10:52,016 He definitely knew he was latching onto something 1477 01:10:52,018 --> 01:10:53,026 bigger than himself then. 1478 01:10:54,008 --> 01:10:58,010 Brenna: Pecker's a man who want to drive around in limousines, 1479 01:10:58,012 --> 01:11:00,011 wants to belong to the best clubs, 1480 01:11:00,013 --> 01:11:03,027 and wants to be known as a celebrity himself. 1481 01:11:05,013 --> 01:11:07,017 Kelly: David Pecker was not a journalist. 1482 01:11:07,027 --> 01:11:11,005 He was brought into media because of his financial acumen. 1483 01:11:11,013 --> 01:11:12,025 People would call him a bean counter, 1484 01:11:12,027 --> 01:11:15,010 for want of a better word, a financial guy. 1485 01:11:16,014 --> 01:11:20,008 In the cultured, highbrow world of media moguls... 1486 01:11:20,017 --> 01:11:23,000 he was seen as more of a scrappy, 1487 01:11:23,002 --> 01:11:24,027 "born in the Bronx" kind of guy. 1488 01:11:25,004 --> 01:11:26,028 I... I think he probably always felt 1489 01:11:27,000 --> 01:11:28,027 something of an outsider because of that. 1490 01:11:28,029 --> 01:11:31,019 He always wanted to be a little grander than he was. 1491 01:11:32,000 --> 01:11:34,026 Auletta: He is a short guy who wanted to be taller, 1492 01:11:34,028 --> 01:11:36,008 and one of the ways you get taller 1493 01:11:36,010 --> 01:11:39,002 is by being a friend of powerful people 1494 01:11:39,004 --> 01:11:44,005 and doing them favors, or you do it by savaging people 1495 01:11:44,007 --> 01:11:47,000 and making people fear you, and he's done both. 1496 01:11:47,020 --> 01:11:50,028 David Pecker had designs on this machine called 1497 01:11:51,000 --> 01:11:53,009 the National Enquirerearly on. 1498 01:11:53,019 --> 01:11:55,024 He bought the paper in 1999, 1499 01:11:55,026 --> 01:12:00,003 and the plan was to create a media company 1500 01:12:00,005 --> 01:12:01,009 to rival Time... 1501 01:12:01,025 --> 01:12:05,017 something to be at the forefrot of mass media in America. 1502 01:12:05,019 --> 01:12:08,009 That was his goal, and he stated it right out of the gate. 1503 01:12:08,021 --> 01:12:12,009 Coz: He wants to go to an advertising-driven vehice 1504 01:12:12,011 --> 01:12:15,024 and polish up the tabloids, make them slicker, 1505 01:12:15,026 --> 01:12:17,020 make them more New York. 1506 01:12:18,001 --> 01:12:22,027 He wanted to sort of drag this tabloid empire upscale. 1507 01:12:23,004 --> 01:12:25,024 Well, people aren't buying the National Enquirer 1508 01:12:25,026 --> 01:12:27,000 to be upscale. 1509 01:12:27,006 --> 01:12:29,014 The whole idea was a bad idea. 1510 01:12:29,025 --> 01:12:32,017 He really never wanted to learn 1511 01:12:32,024 --> 01:12:36,012 what this animal was, that was us. 1512 01:12:38,004 --> 01:12:39,013 The assets in theEnquirer 1513 01:12:39,015 --> 01:12:40,026 were the people who worked there. 1514 01:12:43,006 --> 01:12:45,009 And then came the job cuts. 1515 01:12:45,019 --> 01:12:48,007 You know, he immediately slashed staff. 1516 01:12:48,016 --> 01:12:51,016 Expense accounts were being scrutinized. 1517 01:12:52,002 --> 01:12:54,005 Budgets were slashed. 1518 01:12:54,026 --> 01:12:57,029 There was less content and more filler. 1519 01:12:58,001 --> 01:12:59,018 Kelly: With theEnquirer, David Pecker knew 1520 01:12:59,020 --> 01:13:01,028 he had a way to reach Middle America, 1521 01:13:02,000 --> 01:13:05,001 flyby America, supermarket America. 1522 01:13:05,023 --> 01:13:08,019 Maybe not as influential as it was years earlier, 1523 01:13:08,021 --> 01:13:11,015 but it was still a pretty healthy company 1524 01:13:11,017 --> 01:13:12,027 when he took over. 1525 01:13:17,003 --> 01:13:18,025 George: In 2001, 1526 01:13:19,002 --> 01:13:22,009 David Pecker built his AMI building, 1527 01:13:22,011 --> 01:13:24,001 which was always his dream. 1528 01:13:27,022 --> 01:13:31,027 And that was pretty quickly followed by 9/11. 1529 01:13:41,009 --> 01:13:43,006 And that was a confluence of events 1530 01:13:43,008 --> 01:13:46,011 that changed everything pretty drastically 1531 01:13:46,013 --> 01:13:47,017 all at the same time. 1532 01:13:48,013 --> 01:13:52,007 The FBI is searching the site of the first deadly anthrax attack. 1533 01:13:52,009 --> 01:13:54,010 male reporter: That building is in Boca Raton, Florida. 1534 01:13:54,012 --> 01:13:57,024 It houses the company, American Media Incorporated, 1535 01:13:57,026 --> 01:14:00,007 which publishes tabloid newspapers, 1536 01:14:00,009 --> 01:14:01,027 including theNational Enquirer 1537 01:14:01,029 --> 01:14:03,016 - The building was sealed off - (indistinct chatter) 1538 01:14:03,018 --> 01:14:05,022 so that the FBI and the CDC 1539 01:14:05,024 --> 01:14:08,026 can search the facility, looking at packages 1540 01:14:08,028 --> 01:14:11,029 and mail that may have been delivered to the building. 1541 01:14:14,018 --> 01:14:17,019 Virga: You know, the whole worl was in trauma over 9/11. 1542 01:14:18,024 --> 01:14:22,019 And to have a trauma hit like that a month later close to home 1543 01:14:22,028 --> 01:14:25,014 where the man you sit next to dies... 1544 01:14:26,000 --> 01:14:27,012 it was terrifying. 1545 01:14:27,014 --> 01:14:28,023 male reporter: The man who died of anthrax 1546 01:14:28,025 --> 01:14:30,007 was a photo editor there. 1547 01:14:30,009 --> 01:14:32,017 The man exposed to the disease worked 1548 01:14:32,019 --> 01:14:33,029 in the mail-room. 1549 01:14:34,014 --> 01:14:38,004 - (indistinct chatter) - (siren wailing) 1550 01:14:38,018 --> 01:14:40,009 Coz: There was a huge national fear 1551 01:14:40,015 --> 01:14:42,027 that anthrax was gonna spread across the country, 1552 01:14:42,029 --> 01:14:44,014 and there's a particular fear 1553 01:14:44,024 --> 01:14:48,008 that you could contract anthrax 1554 01:14:48,010 --> 01:14:51,004 through employees of theNational Enquirer. 1555 01:14:52,023 --> 01:14:57,006 (machine whirs) 1556 01:15:03,024 --> 01:15:06,013 Coz: Within a week, we ran a page-one story, 1557 01:15:06,015 --> 01:15:10,012 "Bio-Terrorism Attack," that this had occurred to us. 1558 01:15:14,006 --> 01:15:16,013 Why would they attack American Media? 1559 01:15:16,015 --> 01:15:18,019 Why would they attack... attack theNational Enquirer? 1560 01:15:18,026 --> 01:15:21,004 Well, it's quite simple. It's a piece of Americana. 1561 01:15:21,006 --> 01:15:24,025 It's a populist, patriotic American magazine, 1562 01:15:25,001 --> 01:15:27,004 and that's what I believe is why we were attacked. 1563 01:15:27,006 --> 01:15:30,014 Do you fear, though, a tremendous loss of business? 1564 01:15:30,016 --> 01:15:32,018 Yes, Larry, I... I... I do. 1565 01:15:32,020 --> 01:15:34,027 The World Trade Center was attacked. 1566 01:15:35,007 --> 01:15:37,010 The Pentagon was attacked, 1567 01:15:37,012 --> 01:15:39,008 and American Media was attacked. 1568 01:15:39,010 --> 01:15:41,000 You, American Media, 1569 01:15:41,002 --> 01:15:42,025 publisher of these many tabloids, 1570 01:15:42,027 --> 01:15:45,007 - were targeted. - I think so, yes. 1571 01:15:45,020 --> 01:15:47,010 And does the Bureau think that? 1572 01:15:47,012 --> 01:15:50,009 Have the police thought that, or this a David Pecker thought? 1573 01:15:50,011 --> 01:15:51,024 This is a David Pecker thought. 1574 01:15:51,026 --> 01:15:54,020 I feel that we had a bioterrorism attack here. 1575 01:15:55,027 --> 01:16:00,026 Management decided that we need to be more "patriotic." 1576 01:16:00,028 --> 01:16:02,028 That was the word was used. 1577 01:16:03,000 --> 01:16:06,025 And to support the war effort that was coming, 1578 01:16:07,001 --> 01:16:10,022 you know, we needed to show that we were strong. 1579 01:16:11,017 --> 01:16:14,012 People love to have patriotic stories 1580 01:16:14,014 --> 01:16:15,017 on the front, 1581 01:16:15,027 --> 01:16:18,012 and I think that they had found another nerve 1582 01:16:18,019 --> 01:16:21,002 that they were hitting on the readership 1583 01:16:21,004 --> 01:16:24,012 by doing these post 9/11 stories. 1584 01:16:25,013 --> 01:16:27,016 Coz: We must have put out probably five 1585 01:16:27,018 --> 01:16:29,011 special commemorative editions 1586 01:16:29,017 --> 01:16:31,029 that were slicker and glossier... 1587 01:16:33,011 --> 01:16:36,001 'cause remember, at our bones, we're patriotic. 1588 01:16:36,003 --> 01:16:39,027 Our readers believed in the U.S. government, 1589 01:16:39,029 --> 01:16:41,024 just like they believed in America. 1590 01:16:42,022 --> 01:16:46,000 (crowd cheering and applauding) 1591 01:16:49,004 --> 01:16:51,025 What a greeting. Wow. 1592 01:16:52,025 --> 01:16:53,029 Thank you. 1593 01:16:54,008 --> 01:16:58,004 (cheering and applauding continues) 1594 01:17:03,029 --> 01:17:05,012 Schwarzenegger: From a bodybuilding career, 1595 01:17:05,014 --> 01:17:08,013 I have gotten a large female following. 1596 01:17:08,015 --> 01:17:11,016 You know, you have situations where women absolutely, like, 1597 01:17:11,018 --> 01:17:13,011 take their clothes off in front of you. 1598 01:17:13,013 --> 01:17:15,003 Like, this woman just took off her clothes 1599 01:17:15,005 --> 01:17:17,003 and stood there naked, and she says, "Take me." 1600 01:17:17,005 --> 01:17:20,001 - man: Oh. Oh. - Yeah, baby. 1601 01:17:20,009 --> 01:17:22,018 Schwarzenegger: I mean, sometimes, uh, 1602 01:17:22,024 --> 01:17:25,010 it takes a little bit of respect away 1603 01:17:25,019 --> 01:17:27,003 that one has for women. 1604 01:17:27,005 --> 01:17:28,026 - Oh, hey. I gotta do that. - (crowd laughing) 1605 01:17:29,004 --> 01:17:32,022 I first met Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1987. 1606 01:17:32,024 --> 01:17:35,011 I was part of the team that covered his marriage 1607 01:17:35,013 --> 01:17:36,018 to Maria Shriver. 1608 01:17:36,026 --> 01:17:40,014 Arnold wasn't the least bit self-conscious 1609 01:17:40,016 --> 01:17:42,020 about interacting with the press. 1610 01:17:43,014 --> 01:17:47,006 He brought Maria out of the church on the steps 1611 01:17:47,008 --> 01:17:50,013 and posed for photographs. He was eating up the press, 1612 01:17:50,015 --> 01:17:54,004 and we had never encountered a celebrity like that. 1613 01:17:54,006 --> 01:17:56,029 So there was always a lot of good will toward Arnold. 1614 01:17:57,001 --> 01:17:59,006 - Let's stretch again. Come on. - (indistinct chatter) 1615 01:17:59,012 --> 01:18:01,023 All right. And let's do some jumping. 1616 01:18:01,025 --> 01:18:04,013 Come on, now, and twisting back and forth. 1617 01:18:04,015 --> 01:18:07,009 Oh, I see some sexy bodies out there twisting. 1618 01:18:07,011 --> 01:18:08,023 - Wow! - (crowd cheering) 1619 01:18:08,025 --> 01:18:11,011 But the downside was Arnold was a womanizer. 1620 01:18:12,025 --> 01:18:15,007 Shipp: We've had stories, you know, on the sets of movies 1621 01:18:15,009 --> 01:18:17,012 where he harassed women all the time. 1622 01:18:17,014 --> 01:18:19,029 He can't even deny it at this point. 1623 01:18:20,001 --> 01:18:21,029 I mean, he didn't drug people like Bill Cosby did, 1624 01:18:22,001 --> 01:18:25,020 to my knowledge, but he... he was out there constantly, 1625 01:18:26,001 --> 01:18:27,019 you know, cheating on his family. 1626 01:18:27,021 --> 01:18:29,008 George: We would catch him from time to time, 1627 01:18:29,010 --> 01:18:31,015 and that didn't deter him 1628 01:18:31,017 --> 01:18:37,000 until he developed political aspirations. 1629 01:18:37,002 --> 01:18:39,000 On the big screen, he's currently trying 1630 01:18:39,002 --> 01:18:40,011 to save the human race. 1631 01:18:40,013 --> 01:18:42,009 In real life, he's happy to limit himself 1632 01:18:42,011 --> 01:18:44,021 to the 36 million people of California. 1633 01:18:44,023 --> 01:18:46,007 I'm going to run for governor 1634 01:18:46,016 --> 01:18:48,005 - of the state of California. - (crowd cheering, applauding) 1635 01:18:48,007 --> 01:18:51,005 George: So, just as the campaign was gearing up, 1636 01:18:51,007 --> 01:18:53,014 the reality was, 1637 01:18:53,016 --> 01:18:57,000 what are we gonna do with all these stories about affairs 1638 01:18:57,002 --> 01:18:58,018 and his cheating on Maria? 1639 01:18:58,020 --> 01:19:03,006 And David Pecker corralled all the bad stories 1640 01:19:03,008 --> 01:19:06,029 and assured him that during the campaign, 1641 01:19:07,001 --> 01:19:08,027 he had nothing to worry about. 1642 01:19:09,003 --> 01:19:10,024 Kelly: At the time, the American Media 1643 01:19:10,026 --> 01:19:14,012 was making very highly leveraged deals 1644 01:19:14,014 --> 01:19:16,028 for things like the Joe Weider publications... 1645 01:19:17,014 --> 01:19:19,027 Muscle & Fitness magazines 1646 01:19:19,029 --> 01:19:21,024 that featured Arnold Schwarzenegger. 1647 01:19:22,012 --> 01:19:23,027 Arnold, by this time, 1648 01:19:23,029 --> 01:19:26,019 was on the board of directors at American Media. 1649 01:19:26,021 --> 01:19:29,024 He was in charge of several of the publications. 1650 01:19:30,002 --> 01:19:34,008 So Arnold came along with the furniture. 1651 01:19:34,010 --> 01:19:36,008 Arnold was family at that point, 1652 01:19:36,019 --> 01:19:40,013 and he and David Pecker became close friends. 1653 01:19:40,015 --> 01:19:42,020 (crowd cheering, applauding) 1654 01:19:42,028 --> 01:19:46,010 Brenna: Arnold Schwarzenegger had become forbidden fruit. 1655 01:19:46,023 --> 01:19:48,006 He was taken off the menu 1656 01:19:48,008 --> 01:19:51,010 because he'd made friends with the management, 1657 01:19:51,020 --> 01:19:53,017 and if you went against the management, 1658 01:19:53,019 --> 01:19:55,002 you were out of a job. 1659 01:19:55,015 --> 01:20:00,000 Which brings us to the concept of... of catch and kill. 1660 01:20:02,004 --> 01:20:06,010 There had been stories done on Arnold having an affair... 1661 01:20:06,026 --> 01:20:09,003 with this young actress. 1662 01:20:09,016 --> 01:20:12,014 He was seeing her off and on for ten years... 1663 01:20:12,029 --> 01:20:15,023 a woman by the name of Gigi Goyette. 1664 01:20:17,026 --> 01:20:19,021 Approximately two years after the story 1665 01:20:19,023 --> 01:20:22,019 was released in the National Enquirer, 1666 01:20:22,021 --> 01:20:25,008 we got a call from American Media, 1667 01:20:25,010 --> 01:20:27,025 and they were interested in the rights to my... 1668 01:20:28,010 --> 01:20:31,014 life story, specifically, my story with Arnold. 1669 01:20:31,016 --> 01:20:36,025 And I met Jerry George. It was a summer afternoon. 1670 01:20:37,006 --> 01:20:38,019 We sat down at the table, 1671 01:20:38,021 --> 01:20:40,029 and he pulled out a yellow envelope... 1672 01:20:41,025 --> 01:20:42,029 legal envelope 1673 01:20:43,001 --> 01:20:44,029 with a three-page contract in it. 1674 01:20:45,001 --> 01:20:46,022 We proposed to her 1675 01:20:47,004 --> 01:20:50,011 that if she sold us the rights to her story... 1676 01:20:50,026 --> 01:20:54,003 um, we, ultimately, would develop them 1677 01:20:54,005 --> 01:20:58,003 in terms of a book and possibly a television movie. 1678 01:20:58,005 --> 01:20:59,011 And he was, like... 1679 01:21:00,007 --> 01:21:03,024 kind of buttering me up. Like, "This is gonna be great. 1680 01:21:03,026 --> 01:21:05,028 We're gonna do a book-signing tour. 1681 01:21:06,000 --> 01:21:08,002 You'll go all over the country." 1682 01:21:08,004 --> 01:21:09,007 "Trust us. 1683 01:21:09,014 --> 01:21:11,022 Sign the rights to your story over. 1684 01:21:11,024 --> 01:21:13,005 We'll take care of you." 1685 01:21:13,013 --> 01:21:16,025 David Pecker decided to buy up her life story, 1686 01:21:17,002 --> 01:21:18,016 all rights, 1687 01:21:18,027 --> 01:21:22,007 and American Media took the contract, 1688 01:21:22,015 --> 01:21:25,018 put it in the safe, closed the door 1689 01:21:25,020 --> 01:21:29,017 and never moved any further on that project. 1690 01:21:30,005 --> 01:21:32,005 They didn't want to publish my story. 1691 01:21:32,007 --> 01:21:34,015 They didn't even wanna see the story. They didn't care. 1692 01:21:34,017 --> 01:21:37,007 - That was not their intent. - And I was part of it. 1693 01:21:37,023 --> 01:21:40,007 Um, not my proudest professional moment... 1694 01:21:40,023 --> 01:21:43,011 but I was the editor on that, 1695 01:21:43,013 --> 01:21:45,022 and I executed the contract with her. 1696 01:21:46,013 --> 01:21:50,019 Unbeknownst to me, it was to silence my story 1697 01:21:50,021 --> 01:21:54,004 from ever hitting the stands because... 1698 01:21:54,026 --> 01:21:58,004 Arnold Schwarzenegger was running for governor. 1699 01:21:58,018 --> 01:22:02,017 (crowd cheering) 1700 01:22:02,019 --> 01:22:05,021 If you work hard and if you play by the rules, 1701 01:22:05,023 --> 01:22:08,000 this country is truly open to you. 1702 01:22:08,002 --> 01:22:13,006 - You can achieve anything. - (crowd cheering) 1703 01:22:18,013 --> 01:22:20,003 Kelly: The public didn't think 1704 01:22:20,005 --> 01:22:22,013 that theNational Enquirer had a point of view. 1705 01:22:22,029 --> 01:22:25,015 They thought theEnquirer's point of view was, 1706 01:22:25,029 --> 01:22:29,003 "Cover everybody. Hold truth to power." 1707 01:22:29,013 --> 01:22:30,018 But I don't think... 1708 01:22:31,000 --> 01:22:34,008 people expected them to be burying stories 1709 01:22:34,010 --> 01:22:36,014 as part of their political agenda. 1710 01:22:37,022 --> 01:22:39,017 The public was, in a sense, 1711 01:22:39,019 --> 01:22:41,021 deceived into not seeing the point of view 1712 01:22:41,023 --> 01:22:44,009 that was really driving a lot of the agenda. 1713 01:22:57,019 --> 01:23:01,008 I find it very interesting that the same thing 1714 01:23:01,010 --> 01:23:04,011 that happened to me with American Media 1715 01:23:04,013 --> 01:23:07,012 also happened with Stormy Daniels 1716 01:23:07,014 --> 01:23:08,026 and Karen McDougal. 1717 01:23:09,019 --> 01:23:11,012 male reporter: The McDougal story never ran 1718 01:23:11,014 --> 01:23:12,028 in the tabloid. 1719 01:23:13,000 --> 01:23:15,009 Cohen says he worked with Pecker to bury it... 1720 01:23:15,011 --> 01:23:17,012 Operating at the request of the candidate 1721 01:23:17,014 --> 01:23:20,022 for the principal purpose of influencing the election. 1722 01:23:20,024 --> 01:23:23,004 This is about the most powerful people in the country 1723 01:23:23,006 --> 01:23:25,004 having the ability to silence 1724 01:23:25,006 --> 01:23:27,020 and change the news narrative at will. 1725 01:23:27,022 --> 01:23:29,013 And I think that the public should know that, 1726 01:23:29,015 --> 01:23:32,017 and... and, look, I'll defer to the election-law experts. 1727 01:23:32,019 --> 01:23:35,001 They say that this is worth scrutinizing. 1728 01:23:35,009 --> 01:23:36,025 Haberman: Normally speaking, news organizations 1729 01:23:36,027 --> 01:23:39,012 don't get information in order to bury it. 1730 01:23:39,014 --> 01:23:40,024 That's what's different here. 1731 01:23:41,016 --> 01:23:43,019 You're talking about silencing women... 1732 01:23:44,005 --> 01:23:46,000 and being involved in silencing women 1733 01:23:46,002 --> 01:23:47,027 with hush payments. That is a whole... 1734 01:23:48,012 --> 01:23:49,020 different order of magnitude 1735 01:23:49,022 --> 01:23:51,002 that I had never heard of before. 1736 01:23:52,024 --> 01:23:55,007 I don't know how many of these there are. 1737 01:23:55,016 --> 01:23:56,026 Those are the ones we know of, 1738 01:23:57,005 --> 01:23:59,008 but certainly, these were relationships 1739 01:23:59,010 --> 01:24:03,001 that helped powerful figures maintain their image. 1740 01:24:03,003 --> 01:24:05,015 (indistinct chatter) 1741 01:24:05,017 --> 01:24:08,001 And I know some people who work at theNational Enquirer, 1742 01:24:08,003 --> 01:24:09,024 and they are good, solid reporters. 1743 01:24:09,026 --> 01:24:13,005 It's just that when they veer into other areas 1744 01:24:13,007 --> 01:24:17,018 like trying to overtly help a candidate win the presidency, 1745 01:24:17,025 --> 01:24:19,010 that is something different. 1746 01:24:22,020 --> 01:24:24,016 Bernstein: When you're talking about theEnquirer 1747 01:24:24,018 --> 01:24:27,006 and you're talking about what happened with Donald Trump, 1748 01:24:27,008 --> 01:24:29,010 it is the ultimate corruption. 1749 01:24:29,018 --> 01:24:32,015 The idea that you would kill a story 1750 01:24:32,017 --> 01:24:37,004 to help the aspirations of a politician, 1751 01:24:37,006 --> 01:24:40,010 a businessman, to make money, whatever, 1752 01:24:40,012 --> 01:24:45,022 it is as corrupt as anything you can do as a journalist, 1753 01:24:45,024 --> 01:24:47,022 as corrupt as you can be. 1754 01:24:50,002 --> 01:24:51,020 Kelly: David Pecker saw Trump 1755 01:24:51,022 --> 01:24:54,019 as somebody he should buddy up to. 1756 01:24:54,027 --> 01:24:57,001 You know, "Hey, we're both New Yorkers. 1757 01:24:57,003 --> 01:24:59,009 We both have operations in Florida." 1758 01:24:59,018 --> 01:25:03,001 David Pecker was known to bump into Donald Trump in the airport 1759 01:25:03,003 --> 01:25:05,023 and hitch a ride on his private jet back to New York. 1760 01:25:06,004 --> 01:25:08,000 Haberman: They were sort of fellow travelers. 1761 01:25:08,002 --> 01:25:10,000 Pecker liked Donald Trump's style. 1762 01:25:10,002 --> 01:25:11,016 I think Donald Trump liked the ability 1763 01:25:11,018 --> 01:25:14,006 to be in a publication that people were reading, 1764 01:25:14,008 --> 01:25:15,022 and there was a symbiosis there. 1765 01:25:15,024 --> 01:25:17,027 Both of them had something that the other needed, 1766 01:25:17,029 --> 01:25:19,012 wanted, craved... 1767 01:25:20,002 --> 01:25:21,029 and then it grew from there. 1768 01:25:24,003 --> 01:25:25,029 George: David Pecker brought... 1769 01:25:26,019 --> 01:25:28,002 a silent editor 1770 01:25:28,004 --> 01:25:30,028 with him to the Enquirer, and it was Donald Trump. 1771 01:25:31,008 --> 01:25:36,004 Trump could not only control coverage of his own life... 1772 01:25:36,024 --> 01:25:40,025 but he could also offer up story ideas 1773 01:25:41,003 --> 01:25:44,004 on his enemies, and he did so frequently. 1774 01:25:44,006 --> 01:25:46,023 It's obviously been a very rough-and-tumble week, uh, 1775 01:25:46,025 --> 01:25:49,006 between you and Donald Trump. A salacious story about you 1776 01:25:49,008 --> 01:25:50,025 was published in the National Enquirer. 1777 01:25:51,001 --> 01:25:52,028 male reporter: Unsubstantiated stories about Ted Cruz, 1778 01:25:53,000 --> 01:25:55,003 including allegations of marital infidelity, 1779 01:25:55,005 --> 01:25:57,013 and the baseless claim that Cruz's father worked 1780 01:25:57,015 --> 01:26:00,028 with Lee Harvey Oswald in the Kennedy assassination. 1781 01:26:01,000 --> 01:26:03,024 There was a picture on the front page 1782 01:26:03,026 --> 01:26:07,012 of the National Enquirer, which does have credibility. 1783 01:26:07,014 --> 01:26:10,002 Trump spread those stories to bash his Republican rival, 1784 01:26:10,004 --> 01:26:11,028 all while claiming he had nothing to do 1785 01:26:12,001 --> 01:26:14,015 with the tabloid behind the allegations. 1786 01:26:14,017 --> 01:26:16,018 The National Enquirer carved out a stake 1787 01:26:16,020 --> 01:26:19,000 in the Trump candidacy pretty early on. 1788 01:26:19,002 --> 01:26:22,015 Which meant that a lot of material that they put out... 1789 01:26:22,029 --> 01:26:26,009 was suddenly influencing opinions. 1790 01:26:27,006 --> 01:26:28,014 And, you know, the National Enquirer 1791 01:26:28,016 --> 01:26:29,028 in its history has never endorsed 1792 01:26:30,000 --> 01:26:31,024 a presidential candidate until Donald Trump? 1793 01:26:31,026 --> 01:26:34,023 The first time I realized that the National Enquirer 1794 01:26:34,025 --> 01:26:38,010 had become partisan was years after I left, 1795 01:26:38,012 --> 01:26:40,024 when I walked into my local supermarket, 1796 01:26:40,026 --> 01:26:42,003 and I saw the cover, 1797 01:26:42,005 --> 01:26:44,008 and I had to do a... a second look. 1798 01:26:44,010 --> 01:26:45,024 It was a huge story, 1799 01:26:46,007 --> 01:26:48,009 that said how Donald Trump 1800 01:26:48,011 --> 01:26:50,020 is gonna make America great again. 1801 01:26:51,010 --> 01:26:53,000 That is so foreign 1802 01:26:53,002 --> 01:26:55,014 to anybody who worked at theNational Enquirer. 1803 01:26:55,016 --> 01:26:58,024 That concept that that is a page-one story 1804 01:26:58,026 --> 01:27:00,017 is... is ludicrous. 1805 01:27:00,027 --> 01:27:02,010 And at the same time, 1806 01:27:02,017 --> 01:27:04,023 every time you saw Hillary Clinton on the cover, 1807 01:27:04,025 --> 01:27:07,009 she was either all alone, 1808 01:27:07,011 --> 01:27:10,001 on her way to the hospital, dying. 1809 01:27:10,007 --> 01:27:13,010 And that's when I went, "Uh-oh. Something's going on here." 1810 01:27:16,011 --> 01:27:20,006 Today, the National Enquirer is selling about 150,000 copies, 1811 01:27:20,008 --> 01:27:21,024 200,000 copies. 1812 01:27:21,026 --> 01:27:23,025 So you might ask, why does the National Enquirer 1813 01:27:23,027 --> 01:27:26,026 have any relevancy in today's world? 1814 01:27:26,028 --> 01:27:29,000 There's a very simple reason for that. 1815 01:27:29,002 --> 01:27:31,014 The National Enquirer, when you think about it... 1816 01:27:32,003 --> 01:27:36,011 is the most perfectly placed piece of propaganda in America 1817 01:27:36,013 --> 01:27:38,006 that is seen by... 1818 01:27:38,026 --> 01:27:42,002 a hundred million people a week, probably more. 1819 01:27:42,004 --> 01:27:43,016 It's right there in your face. 1820 01:27:43,018 --> 01:27:45,022 It's like buying a banner ad on a highway, 1821 01:27:45,024 --> 01:27:48,002 except the highway happens to be the conveyor belt. 1822 01:27:48,004 --> 01:27:50,006 So if you have a political message... 1823 01:27:50,018 --> 01:27:52,008 it's a great place to put it. 1824 01:27:55,003 --> 01:27:57,029 Regan: I think the thing that people don't realize 1825 01:27:58,017 --> 01:28:00,028 is just how creepy... 1826 01:28:01,027 --> 01:28:03,009 the operations are. 1827 01:28:03,024 --> 01:28:06,005 I don't think any of us will ever know 1828 01:28:06,014 --> 01:28:08,002 what really happened 1829 01:28:08,004 --> 01:28:10,005 between David Pecker and Donald Trump, 1830 01:28:10,007 --> 01:28:13,016 and the deals that were made and the thousands of deals 1831 01:28:13,018 --> 01:28:16,006 that are made every day by the powerful. 1832 01:28:16,008 --> 01:28:17,027 - (indistinct chatter) - (camera shutter clicks) 1833 01:28:19,019 --> 01:28:23,011 In early 2018, American Media published a tribute magazine 1834 01:28:23,013 --> 01:28:25,024 to the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. 1835 01:28:27,000 --> 01:28:28,013 George: We'll make it a glossy, 1836 01:28:28,015 --> 01:28:30,027 and we'll put the prince on the cover. 1837 01:28:30,029 --> 01:28:33,019 And it will be a one-time-only deal, 1838 01:28:34,009 --> 01:28:36,020 and we'll rack it at Walmart for... 1839 01:28:37,006 --> 01:28:38,015 13 dollars. 1840 01:28:39,000 --> 01:28:43,014 And we'll make Saudi Arabia look like paradise. 1841 01:28:44,018 --> 01:28:46,016 Won't the Saudis like that? 1842 01:28:46,025 --> 01:28:49,001 Kelly: David Pecker was no fool. 1843 01:28:49,003 --> 01:28:53,026 He knew that there was a Saudi sovereign investment fund. 1844 01:28:55,004 --> 01:28:57,012 PerhapsAmerican Media was hoping 1845 01:28:57,014 --> 01:28:59,006 that they would get a slice of it. 1846 01:28:59,027 --> 01:29:02,013 The theory and the speculation was everywhere 1847 01:29:02,015 --> 01:29:04,012 that there was ulterior motives on this, 1848 01:29:04,014 --> 01:29:05,025 that it was not a straight-up, 1849 01:29:05,027 --> 01:29:09,002 "Hey, here's a pop figure that will sell 1850 01:29:09,004 --> 01:29:12,005 like Brad Pitt or Angelina Jole or the Kardashians," 1851 01:29:12,007 --> 01:29:14,005 but they were giving him that treatment. 1852 01:29:14,016 --> 01:29:15,024 I don't think it resonated 1853 01:29:15,026 --> 01:29:17,024 with Middle America, though, so... 1854 01:29:19,001 --> 01:29:20,014 why were they doing it? 1855 01:29:20,016 --> 01:29:22,008 - What is going on here? - I don't know. 1856 01:29:22,010 --> 01:29:25,020 I mean, the two leading theories seem to be that AMI is either 1857 01:29:25,022 --> 01:29:28,024 doing the Saudis' dirty work, 1858 01:29:28,026 --> 01:29:30,023 President Trump's dirty work, 1859 01:29:30,025 --> 01:29:33,008 or a combination of the two. 1860 01:29:34,002 --> 01:29:37,015 Amazon founder Jeff Bezos accusing the National Enquirer 1861 01:29:37,017 --> 01:29:39,000 of blackmail and extortion. 1862 01:29:39,002 --> 01:29:41,013 It is a shocking, a deeply personal post, 1863 01:29:41,015 --> 01:29:43,004 just published online. 1864 01:29:43,006 --> 01:29:45,029 female reporter: AMI attempted to extort and blackmail Bezos 1865 01:29:46,001 --> 01:29:48,026 by threatening to release compromising photos and texts 1866 01:29:48,028 --> 01:29:51,015 between the billionaire and his alleged mistress. 1867 01:29:51,017 --> 01:29:53,001 Williams: Claims of extortion, 1868 01:29:53,007 --> 01:29:55,015 blackmail coming from the world's richest man. 1869 01:29:55,017 --> 01:29:57,029 This publication by theNational Enquirer 1870 01:29:58,001 --> 01:30:00,003 might have been politically motivated. 1871 01:30:00,005 --> 01:30:02,006 Burnett: Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post, 1872 01:30:02,008 --> 01:30:04,001 which the president regularly pillories 1873 01:30:04,003 --> 01:30:06,012 - for its coverage. - "We have ten photos of you, 1874 01:30:06,014 --> 01:30:09,007 - Jeff Bezos, sexual in nature" - Carlson: In some ways, 1875 01:30:09,009 --> 01:30:11,002 all publicity is good publicity. 1876 01:30:11,004 --> 01:30:12,022 Look at all those cameras. 1877 01:30:12,028 --> 01:30:15,000 Carlson: There's also a really bad stench to this thing. 1878 01:30:15,002 --> 01:30:17,006 Trump is trying to take out Bezos Bear 1879 01:30:17,008 --> 01:30:19,022 with a far-reaching secret conspiracy. 1880 01:30:19,024 --> 01:30:21,025 They messed with the wrong guy. 1881 01:30:21,027 --> 01:30:23,012 And they have found that out. 1882 01:30:23,014 --> 01:30:26,009 This story is the stuff that tabloid dreams are made of. 1883 01:30:30,021 --> 01:30:34,002 What the hell happened? The Enquirergot overtaken by... 1884 01:30:34,023 --> 01:30:36,020 mainstream media, who out-enquired 1885 01:30:36,022 --> 01:30:39,012 the Enquirerin the end, and I think that's where we are. 1886 01:30:39,014 --> 01:30:41,009 The Enquirer's been out-enquired. 1887 01:30:42,012 --> 01:30:46,009 - (music playing) - (beeping) 1888 01:30:54,009 --> 01:30:56,010 Haberman: A lot of people used to understand 1889 01:30:56,019 --> 01:30:57,028 the line between... 1890 01:30:58,010 --> 01:30:59,026 some of the things theNational Enquirerdoes 1891 01:30:59,028 --> 01:31:01,015 and what the mainstream press does, 1892 01:31:01,017 --> 01:31:03,002 and I think that people's understanding 1893 01:31:03,004 --> 01:31:05,026 of that has shrunk. I think it has eroded, 1894 01:31:05,028 --> 01:31:10,002 and I think that that has all contributed to a bad cycle. 1895 01:31:12,005 --> 01:31:13,027 Bernstein: It's almost impossible 1896 01:31:13,029 --> 01:31:17,013 in our culture today to have a fact-based debate. 1897 01:31:17,024 --> 01:31:20,001 We cannot agree on the facts. 1898 01:31:20,008 --> 01:31:22,018 That is a terrible place to be. 1899 01:31:24,015 --> 01:31:26,028 Auletta: Sometimes we are guilty 1900 01:31:27,000 --> 01:31:30,010 of enjoying things we shouldn't enjoy... 1901 01:31:31,004 --> 01:31:35,004 of talking about things we shouldn't be talking about, 1902 01:31:35,029 --> 01:31:40,006 of claiming something as a fact when it's not a fact. 1903 01:31:40,019 --> 01:31:43,006 So in that sense, we are really 1904 01:31:43,021 --> 01:31:46,000 children of the National Enquirer. 1905 01:31:46,020 --> 01:31:50,001 (music playing) 1906 01:31:54,012 --> 01:31:55,029 A South Florida holiday tradition 1907 01:31:56,001 --> 01:31:58,024 is under way tonight in Lantana at the headquarters 1908 01:31:58,026 --> 01:32:01,001 of the National Enquirer tabloid. 1909 01:32:01,010 --> 01:32:04,004 NewsCenter 7'sDon Dare is live in front of what they call 1910 01:32:04,006 --> 01:32:05,029 the world's largest Christmas tree. 1911 01:32:06,001 --> 01:32:07,029 Don, you really think it's the world's largest? 1912 01:32:08,001 --> 01:32:12,027 I believe it is, Sally. The tree is 126 feet high. 1913 01:32:13,005 --> 01:32:15,004 That's 12 stories... 1914 01:32:17,002 --> 01:32:21,018 - (music playing) - (train whistles) 1915 01:32:24,002 --> 01:32:25,027 Brenna: In many ways... 1916 01:32:26,011 --> 01:32:30,015 I want to defend this kind of journalism 1917 01:32:30,017 --> 01:32:34,012 because it... it has a place. In... in other ways... 1918 01:32:34,022 --> 01:32:37,008 (stammers) ...there's a very shameful aspect 1919 01:32:37,010 --> 01:32:40,007 to it, as well. There was distortion... 1920 01:32:40,022 --> 01:32:42,021 and there was the degrading of the... 1921 01:32:42,023 --> 01:32:45,005 of the basic journalistic spirit. 1922 01:32:45,028 --> 01:32:48,018 I'm not happy about what I did, 1923 01:32:48,020 --> 01:32:51,018 but I'm not that unhappy, either. 1924 01:32:52,002 --> 01:32:55,001 I look at this now, and I'm thinking, "Man, oh, man. 1925 01:32:55,014 --> 01:32:57,007 How did we get... (sighs) 1926 01:32:57,028 --> 01:32:59,007 ...a tabloid subject 1927 01:32:59,009 --> 01:33:01,001 who's now President of the United States? 1928 01:33:01,023 --> 01:33:05,009 And do I have any shame in this or potential guilt of my own?" 1929 01:33:05,011 --> 01:33:08,024 (chuckles) You know, this is the world of tabloid. 1930 01:33:08,026 --> 01:33:10,026 Who the hell knows? You're not planning strategy. 1931 01:33:10,028 --> 01:33:12,011 You're not planning a world game. 1932 01:33:12,013 --> 01:33:14,022 Hell, you're just trying to get a page one 1933 01:33:14,024 --> 01:33:16,026 that will sell in the next week. 1934 01:33:17,013 --> 01:33:18,021 So... 1935 01:33:20,003 --> 01:33:21,014 what can I say? 1936 01:33:23,011 --> 01:33:24,022 I was a journalist. 1937 01:33:25,017 --> 01:33:31,020 (music playing) 1938 01:33:41,022 --> 01:33:43,009 ♪ All right ♪ 1939 01:33:43,020 --> 01:33:44,029 ♪ Whew ♪ 1940 01:33:45,017 --> 01:33:48,019 ♪ Baby, you're clickbait sitti' Underneath of my fingers ♪ 1941 01:33:48,029 --> 01:33:52,004 ♪ Yeah, baby, you're clickbait Sittin' underneath of my ♪ 1942 01:33:52,015 --> 01:33:56,018 ♪ Fingers Point me in your direction ♪ 1943 01:33:56,020 --> 01:33:59,010 ♪ You got my, my, my attention ♪ 1944 01:33:59,016 --> 01:34:05,024 ♪ Baby, you're clickbait sitti' Underneath of my fingers ♪ 1945 01:34:08,026 --> 01:34:13,001 ♪ Wow, double major In advertising ♪ 1946 01:34:13,003 --> 01:34:14,028 ♪ If you're sellin', I'm buyin' ♪ 1947 01:34:15,000 --> 01:34:17,018 ♪ Got your Rorschach, deep deep deep in my mind ♪ 1948 01:34:17,020 --> 01:34:19,029 ♪ And you keep pulling My strings ♪ 1949 01:34:20,001 --> 01:34:22,028 ♪ Got me wonderin' What is the truth or a myth ♪ 1950 01:34:23,000 --> 01:34:25,008 ♪ You got me hangin' on a carrt And a wish ♪ 1951 01:34:25,010 --> 01:34:29,021 ♪ And I'm just a little fish A little fish bish, oh ♪ 1952 01:34:29,023 --> 01:34:34,002 ♪ Baby, you're clickbait sitti' Underneath of my fingers ♪ 1953 01:34:34,012 --> 01:34:37,021 ♪ Yeah, baby, you're clickbait Sittin' underneath of my ♪ 1954 01:34:38,001 --> 01:34:42,005 ♪ Fingers Point me in your direction ♪ 1955 01:34:42,007 --> 01:34:44,025 ♪ You got my, my, my attention ♪ 1956 01:34:44,027 --> 01:34:51,006 ♪ Baby, you're clickbait sitti' Underneath of my fingers ♪ 1957 01:34:58,021 --> 01:35:00,026 ♪ Unh, unh, unh, unh ♪ 1958 01:35:01,009 --> 01:35:02,027 ♪ I'm curious ♪ 1959 01:35:03,011 --> 01:35:08,002 ♪ I'm curious about you I'm curious ♪ 1960 01:35:08,012 --> 01:35:10,026 ♪ Yes, I'm curious ♪ 1961 01:35:11,012 --> 01:35:13,003 ♪ I'm curious ♪ 1962 01:35:13,016 --> 01:35:18,006 ♪ I'm curious about you Curious ♪ 1963 01:35:18,023 --> 01:35:20,017 ♪ I'm curious ♪ 1964 01:35:25,007 --> 01:35:29,017 ♪ Baby, you're clickbait sitti' Underneath of my fingers ♪ 1965 01:35:29,027 --> 01:35:33,007 ♪ Yeah, baby, you're clickbait Sittin' underneath of my ♪ 1966 01:35:33,017 --> 01:35:37,024 ♪ Fingers Point me in your direction ♪ 1967 01:35:37,026 --> 01:35:40,011 ♪ You got my, my, my attention ♪ 1968 01:35:40,013 --> 01:35:46,023 ♪ Baby, you're clickbait sitti' Underneath of my fingers ♪ 1969 01:35:48,028 --> 01:35:52,016 ♪ F-f-fingers, whoo! ♪ 1970 01:35:53,013 --> 01:35:58,004 ♪ Fing-f-fingers, ooh! ♪ 1971 01:35:58,021 --> 01:36:02,006 ♪ Fing-f-fingers ♪