Even before former President Donald J. Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to conceal a sex scandal, a verdict was being delivered on The National Enquirer.
The no-holds-barred supermarket tabloid was once famous for publishing salacious stories about celebrities and politicians.
“It’s just a tragedy for the paper,” said Barry Levine, the publication’s former executive editor, sitting in the living room of his one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan on a recent morning.
Even among those who consider it a guilty pleasure, The Enquirer can hardly be described as a national treasure.
But try telling that to Mr. Levine, a swashbuckling journalist who worked there from 1999 until 2016 and whose professional and personal identity was shaped by it.
Persons:
Donald J, Trump, “ It’s, ”, Barry Levine, Levine
Organizations:
National Enquirer
Locations:
Manhattan