Tabloid ready to dish it online
The National Enquirer is bringing to the Net more hot gossip, celebrity diets, and lurid tales in relaunching its Web site.
The tabloid boasts 18 million readers of its print edition, but the publisher wants to rope in a new generation of Net-savvy fans by including features such a daily email list with breaking Hollywood rumors. The advertising-supported site will also include celebrity chat, horoscopes by Sabrina, and diet tips from Jenny Craig, executives said.
The Enquirer will also choose an online "reader's story of the week," giving the winning authors $300 for their "tragic" or "outrageous" stories.
The new site has been in the works since March, as reported by CNET's NEWS.COM. E-Ticket, the creator the America's Most Wanted site, designed the Enquirer's new Web presence. E-Ticket has also struck a deal with AdOne to post some 1.5 million classified ads on the site.
Other popular supermarket publications are also jumping on the Net. Last October, Reader's Digest announced an online magazine, a Web search directory, and two new sites on home maintenance and online shopping. It marked the company's first foray into Net publishing.
In January, WebTV and TV Guide, owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, announced an alliance to link editorial content.
Internet news editor Jeff Pelline contributed to this report.