How come the national media didn't pick up on National Enquirer's expose about John Edwards sexual affair?

Question

How come the national media didn't pick up on National Enquirer's expose about John Edwards sexual affair?

Answer 1

The Enquirer isn't known for always being reliable and besides, this story is gossip and not something earth-shattering. I wish the news media would stop focusing so much on entertainment and prying into famous people's personal lives and actually did more real reporting into events that affect all of our lives.

Answer 2

It was overshadowed by the Olympics. That's why the Edwards people decided to say something when they did.  

Answer 3

I think some tried and got nowhere, and things sort of hit a dead end.

Sometimes paying your sources has its advantages, although no one has proved the paper's claim that Edwards fathered the child.

Answer 4

Had the New York Times broken this story, it would have been picked up. The media doesn't trust the National Enquirer, so it would have had to validate the facts of the story, which in retrospect, it should have done. This is a big story, because this guy lied to the nation and jeopardized the political process in order to get his jollies. I'm not sure narcissism is a strong enough word for this behavior.