Page One Becomes Page Six

Take note. yesterday, April 8, the New York times became a scandal sheet. Reporting on the page six scandal, in which New York Post contributor John Paul Stern has been accused of attempting to extort more the $100,000 from california bilionaire Ronald Burkle, the Times became a tabloid themselves, in spirit if not in format. The Times splashed a full color eight photo colage above the fold, and on the fold a Post-like headline "Scandal Jolts a Scandal Sheet, and Gossip Swirls."

While the story of Stern is good news and raises a lot of issues about gossip as journalism, the Times is taking a tabloid joy in seeing the trouble its competitor is now in. They have become that which they most despised. And That's an even more interesting story.