The October issue of GQ featuring Paul McCartney showcases a different side of the legendary musician. McCartney, known for relying on familiar Beatles stories, opened up in a series of interviews, revealing a more relaxed and less image-conscious side of himself. He even shared a story about the Beatles' teenage escapades, leading to a cheeky headline in the New York Post. This vulnerability was refreshing for readers and fans, while also humanizing McCartney, who has been in the spotlight for so long. This level of transparency in the profile required McCartney to answer questions and engage in a give-and-take conversation. In contrast, not all high-profile stories, such as the September issue of Vogue featuring Beyoncé, necessitate such openness from their subjects. The article accompanying this text, titled "Beyoncé in Her Own Words," is not a typical profile but rather a collection of short commentaries on various topics such as motherhood, family, body acceptance, and touring. Anna Wintour describes it as a "powerful essay" written by Beyoncé herself, suggesting that this is a positive aspect. While a journalist was involved in the process and is credited at the end, the outside perspective is minimal, leading to a lack of depth and context in the piece. This could be concerning for those who value celebrity journalism and the dynamic interaction between interviewer and interviewee. The lack of interaction with the press is not uncommon in the world of pop music. Many well-known artists, like Taylor Swift, Drake, and Frank Ocean, have avoided giving interviews to print publications for extended periods of time. Instead, they often rely on social media to share their stories, leading to one-sided narratives or complete silence. Monologue, rather than dialogue, is a potential threat to the traditional role of the celebrity press. Since the 1960s, in-depth interviews have played a significant role in creating and maintaining fame for celebrities. It was expected for artists to continue engaging with the media even after reaching the peak of their success. This was how prominent figures in culture, such as John Lennon, Tupac Shakur, and Courtney Love, shared their thoughts and explanations on important events in their lives. The interviews used to be a source of enlightenment for fans and a symbol of pride for celebrities, especially when the discussions were confrontational. Artists like Ice Cube and Madonna excelled in these situations, showing themselves to be reflective, unafraid of scrutiny, and aware of how they were perceived. However, this was during a time when print media held significant power, before the internet and TMZ took over the narrative. As celebrities' every move became constantly recorded, they became more hesitant to engage with the media. This shift alone wouldn't necessarily mean the end of traditional celebrity journalism. However, the pressure on celebrity journalism from higher-ups may not be as significant as the threat emerging from below. A new generation of celebrities, including YouTube stars and SoundCloud rappers, are sharing their lives extensively on social media on their own terms, without the need for traditional interviews. This generation values instant and unfiltered access, rendering the traditional focus of celebrity journalism on intimate perspectives and behind-the-scenes content largely irrelevant. For example, rapper Lil Xan has been involved in several online dramas recently, sharing personal struggles and relationships on social media without waiting for traditional media to catch up. This shift in celebrity culture is challenging traditional media platforms. At times, social media posts have taken over the role that was once reserved for tell-all interviews. Celebrities like Ariana Grande, XXXTentacion, and Logan Paul have used platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter to share their personal stories and issues without facing much scrutiny. These one-sided narratives have become safe spaces for young celebrities, as their social media followers can outnumber traditional media outlets. This shift has left celebrity journalism facing a challenging dilemma, as the most popular celebrities have bypassed it entirely, while up-and-coming stars have grown up in a time where it holds less relevance. As time passes, the middle ground may disappear completely. Additionally, there has been a variety of content creation, making it challenging for consumers to distinguish between original reporting and aggregated content, journalism outlet content and brand content. This lack of clarity pushes celebrities towards non-traditional media where they have more control over the final product. With the decline of traditional media, the new media landscape is often seen as a solution or a noisy diversion. For example, Selena Gomez is featured on the cover of Elle this month, with a relatively harmless accompanying story. However, when the interview was posted online, she responded with a lengthy post on Instagram expressing her frustration. She explained that it was difficult for her to speak from the heart for over an hour only to have someone else put her thoughts into paid words. As she gets older, she wants her voice to be heard as her own. She then outlined the specific topics she had hoped to discuss in the interview and criticized the focus on her personal life and church. This imbalance of power has led publications to resort to desperate measures to maintain access to famous individuals, such as allowing celebrities to "edit" special magazine issues. While Swift was featured on the cover of Harper's Bazaar this year, she actually acted as the interviewer in the accompanying article, posing questions to rock muse Pattie Boyd. Similarly, Rihanna took her own photo for the cover of The Fader in 2015, with the help of a professional photographer. This act was a commentary on the all-seeing nature of fame, as well as the cover star taking control of her own image. If these options are not feasible, magazines can opt to have a friend of the celebrity conduct the interview instead. In the magazine Elle, Jennifer Lawrence spoke with Emma Stone. Gigi Hadid's Harper's Bazaar May cover interview was conducted by Blake Lively. Cleo Wade, an Instagram affirmation specialist, interviewed Katy Perry for her March Glamour cover. The magazine Interview, known for its celebrity interviews, has been revived recently; in the comeback issue, Raf Simons converses with George Condo (with occasional input from a journalist) and Jennifer Jason Leigh talks to Phoebe Cates. It's not necessary for the friend to be famous. The author of the Rolling Stone article on the private pop star Sia claims to be a close friend of hers, while the New York magazine interview with Woody Allen's wife, Soon-Yi Previn, was done by a friend of Allen's. These articles rely on the idea of friendship to provide insight, rather than maintaining objectivity as the press should. The unspoken agreement in celebrity profiles is that the journalist represents the reader, not the celebrity, but in the pursuit of exclusivity, ethical standards are often ignored. Friendship should not be a requirement for interviews, as it can prevent challenging questions and limit the depth of conversation. Fans miss out on the opportunity for illuminating discussions with celebrities like Beyoncé and Taylor Swift because they are not being pushed to reveal their full complexity. Instead of engaging in meaningful dialogue, these stars have become closed off. It is unfortunate that we may never learn the answers to important questions that go unasked. Copyright 2018 New York Times News Service.