The National Enquirer is up for sale


American Media Inc. is looking to unload three of its tabloid magazines, including the National Enquirer, following a scandal-filled year for the publication.
AMI CEO David Pecker confirmed on Wednesday that the Enquirer, Globe, and National Examiner are for sale, following The Washington Post's report that AMI's controlling shareholder, Chatham Asset Management, wants to cut ties with the tabloids. A person familiar with the matter told the Post the firm's hedge fund manager is "disgusted" by the way the Enquirer operates.
The Enquirer has long been known for employing shady tactics; in 1977, it put a picture showing Elvis Presley in his coffin on the cover. After the Enquirer published an article earlier this year about his extramarital affair, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos accused the magazine of trying to extort him. Pecker, one of President Trump's longtime friends, also admitted late last year to a "catch and kill" deal with Playboy model Karen McDougal, who said she had an affair with Trump. AMI bought the rights to her story in 2016, then never published it, in order to prevent the possible scandal from influencing the presidential election.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
5 torch-carrying cartoons about Lady Liberty’s rough week
Cartoons Artists take on dark nights, Lady Lineup, and more
-
Could Democrats lose the New Jersey governor’s race?
Today’s Big Question Democrat Mikie Sherrill stumbles against Republican Jack Ciattarelli
-
‘Porsche’s luxury credentials are now hanging by a thread’
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Gold tops $4K per ounce, signaling financial unease
Speed Read Investors are worried about President Donald Trump’s trade war
-
Electronic Arts to go private in record $55B deal
speed read The video game giant is behind ‘The Sims’ and ‘Madden NFL’
-
New York court tosses Trump's $500M fraud fine
Speed Read A divided appeals court threw out a hefty penalty against President Trump for fraudulently inflating his wealth
-
Trump said to seek government stake in Intel
Speed Read The president and Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan reportedly discussed the proposal at a recent meeting
-
US to take 15% cut of AI chip sales to China
Speed Read Nvidia and AMD will pay the Trump administration 15% of their revenue from selling artificial intelligence chips to China
-
NFL gets ESPN stake in deal with Disney
Speed Read The deal gives the NFL a 10% stake in Disney's ESPN sports empire and gives ESPN ownership of NFL Network
-
Samsung to make Tesla chips in $16.5B deal
Speed Read Tesla has signed a deal to get its next-generation chips from Samsung
-
FCC greenlights $8B Paramount-Skydance merger
Speed Read The Federal Communications Commission will allow Paramount to merge with the Hollywood studio Skydance