Tabloid Newspapers

Strictly speaking, the term tabloid refers to some newspapers' size, which is half that of a standard broadsheet. However, over the years it has taken on a broader definition that has less to do with size and more to do with the presentation and style of news. “Tabloid” is now commonly used to describe a particular kind of formulaic, colorful narrative, coupled with dramatic visuals, and usually perceived as distinct from standard, “objective” styles of journalism. Tabloid style is typically seen by critics as inferior, appealing to base instincts and public demand for sensationalism over information. While the term is used to describe both print and electronic news, this entry focuses on print tabloids.

In the twenty-first century, in both the United States and Europe, there are three main types of tabloid. First are the weekly publications often known in the United States as “supermarket tabloids,” which focus on celebrity gossip and notable human-interest stories, with the exemplar being the National Enquirer. Related, but somewhat different, are daily tabloids, which cover breaking news as well as similar human interest stories, such as the New York Daily News and Post or the British Sun, Star, and Daily Mirror. Finally, and generally in response to falling circulations and competition from new media, some newspapers have “gone tabloid” in size if not style, or have launched additional tabloid versions, aimed at such audiences as college students and rail commuters.

True “tabloids” emerged in Britain during the first decade of the twentieth century and in the United States in the 1920s. Entertainingly sensational, they were written in the idioms of the people, as William Randolph Hearst (1863–1951) proudly declared when launching the American Daily Mirror in 1924. However, the roots of tabloid journalism can be traced back further to the sensational broadsheets and ballads of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, which circulated by the thousands in Europe and the United States. Their subject matter would be familiar in any tabloid today—sensational crimes, gossip about the rich and famous, and dramatic human interest tales about heroism, strange births, and unusual happenings.

In the United States, these themes made their way into the “penny press” of the 1830s, as Benjamin H. Day's (1810–89) New York Sun and James Gordon Bennett's (1795–1872) Herald targeted a growing mass of semiliterate urbanites with exciting human interest stories. The papers sold for one cent, compared to other papers' six-cent subscription, and were smaller and more portable, foreshadowing the appeal of later tabloids. Equally important were the papers' writing tone. The Sun adopted the motto “It Shines for All” and assumed a plain-spoken style, using vivid, active language and colloquialisms and breaking up stories into short paragraphs, a style very different from the wordy colonial press. This clear, active style became the model for journalism; tabloid journalism simply developed the style at its [Page 1362]most formulaic. The penny press also developed new information-gathering techniques, relying on reporter “legwork” and interviews, rather than official documents such as court records.

The 1880s saw more changes that established the tabloid style. Joseph Pulitzer (1847–1911) bought the moribund New York World in 1883, launching what soon became known as “yellow” journalism. Pulitzer embarked on a crusade against government corruption, white slavery scandals, and other exciting topics, written in dramatic style. By 1886, The World's daily circulation was the largest of any newspaper ever; in addition to current news and advertising, it ran such features as women's pages, etiquette hints, and advice columns. Reporters built on the style of the penny papers, producing stories full of detailed description and colloquial dialogue. Pulitzer's success spawned imitators, most notably Hearst, who in 1896 bought the New York Journal, which in addition to human interest stories, included features like comics, sports, and short, pithy editorial content. Only a slight change in format was required to produce the first tabloids.

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