Parents' Guide to

Tabloid Wars

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Informative look at tabloid news for teens and up.

TV Bravo Reality TV 2006
Tabloid Wars Poster Image

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What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

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What's the Story?

TABLOID WARS is a documentary-style reality show that gives viewers a first-hand look at the daily operations of a tabloid newspaper, following the reporters, writers, and editors of The New York Daily News as they work in the newsroom and on the streets of New York pursuing leads and reconstructing events in order to write stories that will appeal to their working-class readership. Constantly being reminded by Michael Cooke, Daily News editor-in chief, that they're competing against their "enemy," The New York Post, the reporters pursue stories that range from the violent to the bizarre. Racially motivated crime and police shootings are intermixed with stories about Robert De Niro's nanny, Victoria Gotti's latest party, homeless body builders, and reptile collectors, and even a local police officer in Iraq. The personal lives of the Daily News staff is also discussed.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

Fast-paced and unglamorous, Tabloid Wars shows viewers that reporters' lives can be both exciting and draining as they struggle to maintain a competitive edge in the cut-throat world of newspaper journalism.

Teens with an interest in journalism or newspapers will probably find the series fascinating; because of the mature nature of many of the stories the reporters and editors cover, the show isn't the best fit for younger viewers.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what it would be like to be a journalist. What is the life of a reporter really like? What challenges do reporters face every day as they try to do their jobs? What's the difference between a tabloid and a "regular" newspaper? Families can also discuss the difficult choices people make every day about their careers and their personal lives. Is it possible to have a challenging career and a family? What kinds of sacrifices do we make in order to have the career of our dreams?

TV Details

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