blind items
Unnamed celebrity rumors
Blind items are gossip pieces that describe scandalous or newsworthy behavior without naming the people involved, leaving readers to guess their identities from context clues.
Common in celebrity journalism and entertainment blogs, they allow writers to share unverified rumors while avoiding libel: Today's blind item: Which A-list actor was spotted leaving rehab?
The game of decoding blind items is part of their appeal.
- rumorUnconfirmed circulating story
- hintIndirect suggestion
- gossipInformal talk spreading rumors
- secretConcealed information
- coded languageCommunication using concealed meanings
celebrity gossip · guess · confidential · cryptic · anonymous sources · unverified · celebrities · public figure · tabloid · scandals · defamation · innuendo · mask · double entendre · speculation · euphemisms · whispers · hush-hush
- tabloidsNational Enquirer, TMZ, Daily Mail, People, Globe
- gossiprumor, rumors, gossip, hearsay, whisper
- anonymity toolsaliases, pseudonyms, pen names, screen names, usernames
- anonymous worksBeowulf, Sir Gawain, Pearl, Everyman, folk songs
blind itemsinvestigative journalism
In-depth reporting exposing wrongdoing
hard news · verified account · court filing · public record · official report
blind, blinds, blinded, blinding, blindly, blindness, blindfold, item, items