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submitted 6 months ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world

The former National Enquirer's secret agreement with Donald Trump is shocking, even by the sensational standards of his former publication.

Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker’s testimony in Donald Trump’s hush money trial this week revealed the underhanded tactics his publication used to defend the former president, flagrantly violating not only mainstream journalism ethics rules, but even the more lurid standards typical of tabloids like his. 

“I knew the National Enquirer was slimy, but I didn’t know they were this slimy,” said Kelly McBride, the senior vice president and chair of the Craig Newmark Center for Ethics and Leadership at the non-profit Poynter Institute. “It is so far outside the practice of journalism that it’s hard for me to even imagine that this was happening.” 

In testimony this week during Trump’s trial in New York City, the former CEO of National Enquirer’s former parent company explained in stunning detail how he agreed to act as “eyes and ears” for Trump’s campaign, purchasing the rights to stories in order to suppress them, and even outright fabricating negative stories about Trump’s opponents.

“I wanted to protect my company, I wanted to protect myself, and I also wanted to protect Donald Trump,” Pecker said about why he released a false public statement about his publication’s “catch and kill” agreement to purchase and bury Karen McDougal’s story about her alleged monthslong affair with Trump

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[-] Neato@ttrpg.network 76 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

even outright fabricating negative stories about Trump’s opponents

Did this fucker just testify in court that he committed libel?

[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 25 points 6 months ago

Probably past the statute of limitations.

[-] disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world 7 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

He was granted immunity in exchange for his testimony. That’s why he’s bearing it all. He admitted to a lot of illegal activity committed on behalf of Trump. His testimony is a hell of a read.

[-] ikidd@lemmy.world 2 points 6 months ago

I doubt they can grant immunity against civil action. Maybe the legal consequences, or they'll cover any libel damages.

[-] disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world 3 points 6 months ago

Good point.

[-] ME5SENGER_24@lemmy.world 71 points 6 months ago

It’s so funny that the man who pushed the “fake news” narrative was in bed with the National Enquirer — a publication that’s literally the definition of fake news

[-] SoleInvictus@lemmy.blahaj.zone 40 points 6 months ago

Every accusation is an admission of guilt with this shit bag.

[-] Daft_ish@lemmy.world 4 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

Erm, we all knew this. We said it time and time again. Now we are endlessly confirming what we knew while the GOP sit back let's the infighting continue.

This election is not being fought through the candidates. It's all about making the dems turn on themselves. Everyone refuses to wise up and instead gets more entrench.

Where are all the repubs? Where is the_donald?

I imagine they sit behind the scenes feeding red meat about Palestine and now the rest of us are just along for the ride.

[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 49 points 6 months ago

Yes, NBC. It just revealed it for the first time this week.

If you don't count the time David Pecker just admitted the whole thing in 2018.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/dec/12/national-enquirer-trump-payments-david-pecker-catch-and-kill

[-] Nurse_Robot@lemmy.world 23 points 6 months ago

THANK YOU. I thought I was going crazy hearing this all again, with every news story acting like it was unheard of

[-] reddig33@lemmy.world 6 points 6 months ago

This has been going on since Confidential magazine in the 1950s. It’s not right, but it’s nothing new.

[-] NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world 23 points 6 months ago

What do you know, it was projection AGAIN

Some worry that mainstream outlets will be collateral damage too, even though mainstream outlets would never tolerate even a fraction of the kind of behavior Pecker described. Trump and his allies have falsely accused mainstream news outlets of doing exactly what Pecker admitted he did for Trump, and Trump’s lawyers in court argued — inaccurately — that Pecker described standard journalism practices. 

[-] Kecessa@sh.itjust.works 6 points 6 months ago

They project because people expect others in a similar position to have similar ethics and values, it's also why on the other side of the spectrum they're always pardoning those who wronged them, they can't comprehend that it's possible to just be that scummy.

[-] silverbax@lemmy.world 8 points 6 months ago

If someone is reading the National Enquirer and thinks it's actual news, they are already an idiot and nothing revealed in this trial is going to smarten them up.
In the 80s, the National Enquirer had a 'seance' to ask the ghost of Marilyn Monroe if someone had murdered her and who the murderer was. They then reported this as if it wad an actual source and named Bobby Kennedy the killer. It's not like this is a real news source in any way, and it never has been.

[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 14 points 6 months ago

That's not the issue. The issue is that they were buying peoples' silence.

[-] Drusas@kbin.run 6 points 6 months ago

Sounds like this Pecker needs to be tried for election interference himself.

[-] havocpants@lemm.ee 5 points 6 months ago

Pecker by name eh?

this post was submitted on 27 Apr 2024
233 points (97.9% liked)

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