Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

July 5, 2008 6:55:32 PM CDT

Learn about Newser Points »

Back to the grid

Scribe Says Bye to Cool Tabloid

Posted Aug 25, 07 5:13 PM CDT in Gossip,  US    Editor's Choice

(Newser) – Gone is the tabloid that claimed "February Sues for More Days" and "Hide-and-Seek Player Found After 34 Years," but what becomes of its writers? At least one is still missing his calling as an inventor of comedy-news. In Salon, Stan Sinberg recalls how he conceived tall tales for the Weekly World News for 3 years, a calling he considered higher than writing for the Enquirer or penning celebrity gossip.

As a fan, Stan imagined that WWN writers invented stories with a dartboard and sections like “Bigfoot” and “Aliens.” But after applying through an online ad, he fell in love with “a parallel universe in which literally anything could happen” – and found editors who took their comedy seriously. Now he wishes that the WWN had marketed itself to the hip Onion crowd and become “cool” to read instead of “weird.”

Source Salon

Editor Recommended

Related Stories

Related News

  • Newspaper Ad Profits Down Despite Increase in Online Ads

    Nov 21, 07 11:49 AM CST
    Newspaper Ad Profits Down Despite Increase in Online Ads A 21% third-quarter increase in newspapers' online advertising revenues was not enough to offset a print ad spending decline that brought total ad spending down 7.4% to $10.9B. As major newspaper companies grapple with contracting print revenues and declining profits, Gannett's USA Today has announced 8.8% cuts of editorial staff, Reuters reports. More »

  • All the Space That's Fit to Sell

    Aug 29, 07 3:42 PM CDT
    All the Space That's Fit to Sell Newspapers, in an effort to bring in cash and stave off extinction, are selling iconic properties in downtown districts, the Journal reports. The latest example is the Philadelphia Inquirer, whose new owner hopes to net $70 million for its Beaux-Arts tower; the Boston Herald and Minneapolis Star Tribune are also among the outfits looking to profit from their real-estate holdings. More »

  • Alert the Aliens: Weekly World News Dead at 28

    Aug 7, 07 4:57 PM CDT
    Alert the Aliens: Weekly World News Dead at 28 For 28 years, it was the “world’s most reliable newspaper,” replete with stories of Elvis sightings, alien babies, and dwarf-eating dieters. But the Weekly World News is no more. The black-and-white publication, known for its loose headlines and even looser facts, will publish its final print edition later this month, parent company American Media says. More »

  • Times Will Eliminate Pay Access to TimesSelect

    Aug 7, 07 11:58 AM CDT
    Times Will Eliminate Pay Access to TimesSelect The New York Times will shut down TimesSelect, the pay section of its website that keeps columnists such as Maureen Dowd and Frank Rich beyond the reach of the great unwashed. The fate of the $7.95-a-month subscription service sparked hot debate among publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. and other Times execs, reports the New York Post. More »

  • Page Six Fallout May Hurt Murdoch

    May 21, 07 12:45 PM CDT
    Page Six Fallout May Hurt Murdoch Shenanigans at the New York Post may mean trouble for Rupert Murdoch's Dow Jones bid, David Carr writes in today's Times. The tales of sex, lies, and bribery spicing up Page Six are normal fare for the gossip standby, but the fact that they're about the Post itself may not sit well with the owners of the Wall Street Journal. More »

In this May 3, 2000 file photo, republican presidential candidate Texas Gov. George W. Bush displays a copy of the tabloid Weekly World News to reporters during a light moment aboard his campaign plane...   (Associated Press)
In this May 3, 2000 file photo, republican presidential candidate Texas Gov. George W. Bush displays a copy of the tabloid Weekly World News to reporters during a light moment aboard his campaign plane...   (Associated Press)
ilovethiscat   ((c) jon madison)
In this May 3, 2000 file photo, republican presidential candidate Texas Gov. George W. Bush displays a copy of the tabloid Weekly World News to reporters during a light moment aboard his campaign plane...   (Associated Press)
prev    next
play

Threads (1 of 1)

Tags

newspaper  • news  • tabloids  • writer  • Weekly World News


Loading...

Loading...

Next story from this section »

Today's Most Popular


Other US Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Newser gives you more news in less time. We search for the best and most important stories all over the web, read them for you, and deliver concise and sharp summaries—along with links to the full text. Newser provides a way to stay on top of an ever-expanding horizon of news and opinion—politics, sports, business, trends, technology, personalities, crimes, and controversies. Newser keeps you not just better informed, but, with our signature graphic interface and smart condensed format, more enjoyably informed.

Learn more »