The October issue of GQ features Paul McCartney, who has typically relied on familiar Beatles stories in the past. However, in this issue, McCartney opened up in several lengthy conversations, showing himself to be unprepared, somewhat indecisive, and less concerned with his own image than expected. He even shared a story about the Beatles' teenage adventures, which generated a cheeky headline in the New York Post. This added a humanizing touch to McCartney's long-standing fame. McCartney's willingness to be transparent in the interview was a refreshing change, as not all celebrities are as open in high-profile profiles, like Beyoncé in the September issue of Vogue. The article accompanying this text is titled "Beyoncé in Her Own Words," which is not a profile but a compilation of brief comments on various topics such as motherhood, family, body acceptance, and touring. Anna Wintour describes the piece as a "powerful essay" written by Beyoncé herself, which she sees as a positive aspect rather than a negative one. Although a journalist was involved in the process and is credited at the end, outside perspectives have been mostly eliminated. This may not be a concern for Beyoncé's fans, but it is worrisome for fans of celebrity journalism, which typically aims to provide additional context and depth to the world of fame through interviews. It is not a rare occurrence, especially in pop music, for some of the biggest performers to avoid the press. For example, Taylor Swift has not done a substantial interview with a print publication in over two years, while Drake has not done so for about a year, amidst a turbulent period. Frank Ocean has also largely disappeared again. Instead of traditional interviews, these artists often communicate through social media or remain silent. A monologue, rather than a dialogue, is changing the way celebrity press operates. In-depth interviews have been important for creating stars since the 1960s, as well as for maintaining their image. Celebrities used to continue engaging with the media even after reaching the height of fame. This was how the most influential cultural figures shared their thoughts, such as John Lennon discussing the Beatles' breakup, Tupac Shakur speaking from jail, or Courtney Love following Kurt Cobain's death. It used to be enlightening for fans and a point of pride for celebrities, especially in confrontational interviews. Stars like Ice Cube and Madonna thrived in these situations, showing themselves to be thoughtful, unafraid of challenges, and aware of their public image. However, this was during a time when print media had a lot of influence and the internet and TMZ were not as dominant. As the media started documenting celebrities' every move in real-time, many stars became more guarded. This shift may not mean the end of traditional celebrity journalism. The pressure on celebrity journalism from higher-ups may not be as strong as the threat emerging from below, where a new generation of celebrities share their lives on social media quickly and decisively, without the need for traditional interviews. This generation values hyper-documentation, making the traditional emphasis on behind-the-scenes access in celebrity journalism irrelevant. An example of this is rapper Lil Xan, who has recently shared personal dramas online without waiting for traditional media to catch up. At times, social media posts have replaced traditional tell-all interviews for celebrities. For example, Ariana Grande used Instagram to mourn her ex-boyfriend, Mac Miller, while XXXTentacion addressed sexual assault allegations on his Instagram Story and Logan Paul apologized on YouTube for a controversial video. These posts offer one-sided narratives without much scrutiny beyond the comments section, creating safe spaces for young celebrities to communicate directly with their followers. In today's social media-driven world, celebrities can reach a larger and more targeted audience through platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat than through traditional media outlets. This shift has presented a challenge for celebrity journalism, as established celebrities have abandoned it altogether and emerging celebrities have grown up in a time where it is less relevant. As time goes on, the space between different types of content may disappear. Additionally, there is now a variety of content being created, making it hard for consumers to distinguish between original reporting and aggregated content, as well as content from journalistic outlets and brands. This lack of clarity encourages celebrities to move away from traditional media where they have less control over the final product. With the decline of old media, the new media landscape is often seen as a correction or a noisy distraction. For example, Selena Gomez is featured on the cover of Elle this month, with a relatively harmless accompanying story. However, she expressed frustration in a lengthy Instagram post when the interview appeared online. She mentioned that it was difficult for her to speak openly for over an hour only to have someone else put her thoughts into paid words. She emphasized her desire for her voice to be true to herself as she gets older. The post also outlined the specific topics she had wanted to promote in the interview, criticizing the excessive focus on her personal life and church. As celebrities gain more power and influence over the media, publications have been forced to compromise their integrity in exchange for access, resulting in celebrities editing special issues of magazines. Swift was featured on the cover of Harper's Bazaar this year, but in the article, she actually acted as the interviewer, posing questions to rock muse Pattie Boyd. Similarly, Rihanna took her own photograph for the cover of The Fader in 2015, with the help of a professional photographer. This act served as a commentary on the widespread fame and 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. Jennifer Lawrence interviewed Emma Stone for Elle magazine. Gigi Hadid was interviewed by Blake Lively for her Harper's Bazaar May cover. Cleo Wade, an Instagram affirmation specialist, conducted Katy Perry's interview for the March issue of Glamour. Interview magazine, known for its celebrity conversations, was recently revived. In the comeback issue, Raf Simons talked with George Condo, with a journalist occasionally chiming in, and Jennifer Jason Leigh interviewed Phoebe Cates. The friend doesn't have to be a famous person for these types of interviews. The author of Rolling Stone's recent article about the private pop star Sia claims to be a close friend of hers, while New York magazine's recent interview with Woody Allen's wife Soon-Yi Previn was conducted by a longtime friend of Allen, causing controversy on Twitter. These articles rely on the idea of close friendships to provide insight, instead of maintaining objectivity as the press should. Celebrity profiles typically involve journalists acting as a stand-in for the reader, not the subject, but exclusivity often trumps ethical standards in these cases. Friendship should not be a requirement, but rather a disqualifier. This approach is unfair to fans who are deprived of the valuable insights that can come from someone in the room challenging and questioning, rather than just agreeing. It is disappointing that high-profile stars like Beyoncé and Taylor Swift have chosen to be closed off rather than engage in meaningful conversations that could showcase their full complexity. It is unfortunate that we will never get to hear the answers to the unasked questions. Text = Copyright 2018 New York Times News Service.