While Kenya is busy battling fake news, US is currently in a debate with a salacious tabloid newspaper with a conservative owner and a history of unscrupulous methods.
The Florida-based supermarket tabloid has mixed celebrity gossip, true crime and conspiracy theories for decades. But its association with President Donald Trump and its new attacks on Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos is shining a harsh light on the underbelly of tabloid journalism.
And now a legal fight with the world’s richest person could prove devastating for a company that has faced financial challenges, including substantial debt and the loss of revenue from print sales confronting even mainstream newspapers.
In a blog post Thursday, Bezos alleged that lawyers for the National Enquirer’s parent company – American Media Inc. – tried to blackmail him into getting the Washington Post to drop its investigation into the company’s ties to Trump.
Last month, the National Enquirer published photos showing Bezos involved in an extramarital affair with a former news anchor. Prior to that, Bezos had announced that he and his wife were divorcing.
AMI has denied any wrongdoing, saying it ” believes fervently that it acted lawfully in thereporting of the story of Mr Bezos.” In a statement Friday, the company said its board of directors would open an investigation into the allegations.