American Media's Star Magazine example essay topic

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, a tabloid is a newspaper characterized by half the standard page size, abundant illustrations, and generally, fairly brief article. In every supermarket, every corner store, and in hands of people all across America and the world are the compact, computer friendly covers of the tabloids. The tabloids of America, however, are not what one might call an extremely credible source of inside information, yet their underlying integrity has kept these magazines running for over one hundred years. These magazines offer an attraction to people of all ages, races, and genders due to their boastful and in most cases audacious cover stories. In contrast, the tabloids of England merely refer toa smaller, more compact size for their newspapers, and do not necessarily exemplify the stigma which surrounds the tabloids of the Western culture. Henry Wellcome may be given credit for founding the word tabloid when he, as director of a British pharmaceutical company, combined the words alkaloid and tablet to describe a new tonic.

Later, Alfred Harmsworth began the rise of the tabloid newspaper when he coined the term when he started the first such newspaper: The Daily Mirror. It was during the re-launch of The New York World that the newspaper folded in half to have a more compact appeal. For decades, the tabloids have been a leading entertainment source for millions of people throughout the United States. With their brilliant advertisement schemes, the tabloids have drawn a variety of audiences to purchase and read their so called true tails and events. American Media's Star magazine demonstrates prime examples of cover stories that catch people's eye such as "Space Alien Caught Hugging John Kerry", and "Britney Spears: Cellulite at 21" or even as preposterous as "A Wild Boar Ate My Baby". David Pecker, publisher of the National Enquirer and Star, has begun a campaign, however, to change the appearance of these magazines to make them look a little more mainstream.

Since the year 2000, there has been a significant decline in the sale of the tabloids on newsstands from five million per week to around three million. There are several reasons for this decline; however, the primary cause of this can be attributed to the availability of these news releases from the internet and cable networks. This venture has so far cost over fifty million dollars in the past year to upgrade the thirty-five year old tabloid stock and recruit a new editorial staff to be led by Bonnie Fuller (Leonard, D., 2004). David Pecker, the so called "king of the supermarket tabloids" controls the company American Media based in Boca Raton which publishes the National Enquirer, the Globe, the National Examiner, the Sun, and Weekly World News. This man has gained control of sixty-five percent of the magazine racks in the grocery stores, and forms most of his business on the impulse purchases of others.

Very little revenue from the company comes from people who actually subscribe to the magazine. Thus, the articles and their titles become stranger in an attempt to gather more readers of the abnormal material. Also, Pecker has recently established a few new magazines which he hopes will boost sales as well. Most recently launched is a magazine entitled MPH which has been described as Maxim meets Car and Driver (Leonard, D., 2004). This tabloid will be soon followed by Looking Good Now, Star Shop, and Sly.

American Media bought Weider Publications, which was owned at the time by Weider Health & Fitness. This purchase became an attempt to diversify their consumer magazine portfolio and cost roughly a hefty $350 million. Through the gain of this small empire, American Media is now in control over Muscle & Fitness, Shape, and Flex. Arnold Schwarzenaggar, a well known actor and now governor of California, was hired as the editor of both Muscle & Fitness and Flex magazines; thus adding a significant amount of publicity. In addition to this enhanced publicity, American Media improved its reign in the fitness market through bringing a fifty percent stake at the Mr. Olympia bodybuilding competition (Hoover's Online)..