The secretive practice of 'catch-and-kill' tabloid journalism

The New York criminal trial of former President Donald Trump is well underway, and recent testimony has shined a spotlight on an often-maligned practice of journalism: "catch-and-kill." The practice, while having been used for years, has seen a resurgence in the headlines after testimony in the Trump trial by David Pecker, the former publisher of the tabloid magazine the National Enquirer. While generally looked down upon by reporters at major news organizations, catch-and-kill journalism — and the overall practice of paying sources for stories — remains commonplace in the tabloid...