Why Madonna is furious with the New York Times

In an effort to control their public narrative some stars are avoiding the press, while some have started to interview each other.

Madonna has claimed a New York Times Magazine profile made her feel as if she'd been raped. AP

Sonia Rao

Updated Jun 14, 2019 – 11.01am, first published at 10.23am

Email LinkedIn Twitter Facebook

Subscribe to gift this article

Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.

Subscribe now

Already a subscriber?

With celebrity journalism, negotiating access can be akin to playing tug of war. The profile might be pegged to a celebrity's new project - whether a film, album or some sort of charitable undertaking. In such a case, his or her team might grant access on the basis of that project being the article's central focus.

The journalist, however, might prefer to use the project as a jumping-off point to examine the celebrity's contributions to society. As when writing about any subject wielding a great deal of power – social influence, in this case –the journalist's ultimate goal is to paint a fair and accurate portrait.

Washington Post