Channels with Peter Kafka

Lachlan Cartwright Started in Tabloids. Now He’s a Must-Read Media Gossip.

Dec 10, 2025
Lachlan Cartwright, an Australian-born journalist with a rich history in tabloid reporting, shares insights from his early career with Rupert Murdoch’s publications to leading the National Enquirer. He discusses how tabloid culture shaped his reporting style and reflects on the catch-and-kill practices surrounding Donald Trump. Lachlan also delves into the challenges of sustaining independent media outlets while running his newsletter, Breaker, known for its sharp, humorous media gossip, and speculates on the future of major news organizations.
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ANECDOTE

Undercover With The Old Enquirer Safe

  • Lachlan Cartwright described using the old National Enquirer safe as a footrest while working there.
  • He also recounted walking past the converted Enquirer building and noting people can now live where the infamous safe sat.
ANECDOTE

Dog Story That Changed Laws

  • Cartwright broke a campaign-changing story about a Dalmatian puppy and used it to push legal change.
  • That dog story led to a petition, delivery to Downing Street, and a law change, which won him a staff job.
ANECDOTE

Six Weeks In LA For Jackson Coverage

  • Cartwright recalled being sent to LA when Michael Jackson's death broke and spending six weeks on that story.
  • He described living out of a suitcase and covering consequential celebrity yarns back-to-back.
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