The Wire

Britney. Paris. Lindsay. We know the details of their lives so well, we’re literally on a first-name basis with them. When one of these young celebrity trainwrecks gets pregnant, arrested, or incarcerated, international headlines are made. Online, sites like PerezHilton.com and TMZ.com are the biggest winners, raking in the hits and advertising revenue as people flock to the web for the latest celebrity and entertainment news. The immediacy of the internet allows bloggers to track celebrity breakdowns and break-ups on an hour-by-hour basis, as if they were unfolding international crises. Professional blogger Jess McGuire, editor of Defamer Australia, says that gossip mags are often left to play catch-up. She spoke to The Wire.