(Knight Centre) The National Enquirer, long regarded as a gossipy supermarket tabloid, is under consideration for a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of former Sen. and presidential candidate John Edwards' infidelity, but some observers are concerned about the nomination of a paper that admits to paying its sources, The New York Times reports.
The story by Stephanie Clifford examines how the Enquirer has earned some respect by scooping traditional media: "It threw reporters at the Edwards story, spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on expenses, conducted stakeouts, paid informants and ran pieces based entirely on anonymous sources." But those tactics make some question whether the Enquirer should be eligible for the most prestigious journalism award (which will be announced April 12), Clifford explains.