He's a Living Tabloid Newspaper

Via ITN

Evidence from former News of the World deputy features editor Paul McMullan at the Leveson inquiry was explosive today.

Lots of tittle tattle, lots of celeb name dropping (Brad Pitt, Princess Diana, David Beckham...), lots of sex, drugs and death.  Also, lots of righteous indignations.  Lots of standing up for the little man against the system and protecting children from evil child molesters and murders. Lots of grandiose and high fluting populist ideals.

Unashamed, unabashed, unwavering.  Slight shabby, slightly cheeky, slightly cruel.  In fact, all the things that make up a good tabloid newspaper.

McMullan doesn't distinguish between public interest and what the public are interested in.  So if a paper sells, then the public accepts the story and how it was got.

And from the reaction on Twitter, he knows what the public wants.  Yes, we do want the dirt.  We want to hear about his cash back handers to police officers, his thievery of private photos, his sexual proposition to drugged up daughters of famous actors and the subsequent deadly reaction to his reveal-all stories.

And despite ourselves, we watch him.  Despite ourselves, we read tabloids by the millions.  Despite our disgust, we can't help but consume, consume, consume.  And then blame him for our consumption.

Guardian live blog of Leveson inquiry:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/blog/2011/nov/29/leveson-inquiry-nick-davies-paul-mcmullan-live?intcmp=122