Jeffrey Scott Shapiro - Investigative Reporter, Washington, D.C.-based Lawyer

Tabloid Sleaze Goes Beyond the Headlines

Carolyn Condit, the wife of Rep. Gary Condit, recently filed a $10 million lawsuit against the National Enquirer for alleging that she had a verbal confrontation with Chandra Levy shortly before Levy's disappearance.

Although the article probably shocked the Condit family, and perhaps many of the Enquirer's readers, it came as no surprise to me. I was used to seeing such stories. I had once worked for the people who wrote them.

Practicing Dangerous Journalism

The Globe supermarket tabloid recently broke a sacred journalism covenant by publishing the full name and photograph of the alleged victim in the Kobe Bryant case.

Earlier this year, the Globe published a July cover story that also featured the woman's photograph. Although she was recognizable to her friends and acquaintances, the tabloid shielded her eyes with a black bar and her name was not revealed.

A brake on the paparazzi

Under a new California law, victims of assaults by paparazzi can ask for punitive damages and a court order stripping the photographer of any proceeds from pictures taken during the assault.

For ordinary people, it's no doubt difficult to imagine that anyone would risk the life of another human being to get a picture or story, but I'm sorry to tell you, such rituals are common for tabloid journalists.

Why Are the Tabs Ganging Up On Kobe Bryant's Accuser?

"Do you think she's innocent?" That's the most common question I'm asked about Lilly Fuller [a pseudonym used to protect her identity], the alleged victim in the Kobe Bryant case. I often have to remind people that Fuller isn't the one who is on trial Bryant is.

The question never comes as a surprise, however. Thanks to a number of pretrial motions filed by Bryant's lawyers, coupled with tabloid spin, Fuller has been introduced to America as a deceptive, promiscuous young woman out for attention and financial gain. Despite the tall tales spun by Bryant's lawyers and dazzling publications such as the Globe and National Enquirer, nothing could be further from the truth.