In the October issue of GQ, Paul McCartney is featured and reveals a more unguarded side of himself during several long conversations. He appears less concerned with maintaining his image and even shared a story about the Beatles' teenage adventures, leading to a cheeky headline. This level of transparency was refreshing for both fans and McCartney himself, who is often seen as more of an icon than a person. This openness required him to answer questions and engage in give and take, unlike other big stories such as the September issue of Vogue featuring Beyoncé. The article accompanying this text is titled "Beyoncé in Her Own Words", which is not a profile but rather a collection of brief commentaries on various topics such as motherhood, family, body acceptance, and touring. Anna Wintour describes the article as a "powerful essay" written by Beyoncé herself, suggesting that this is a positive aspect. While a journalist was involved in the process, the piece is credited as "as told to" at the end, erasing outside perspectives. This may not be concerning for Beyoncé fans, but for those interested in celebrity journalism that adds depth and context to the fame economy, this could be seen as a problem. Many well-known performers in pop music are avoiding the press, with Taylor Swift and Drake not granting interviews for at least a year or more. Frank Ocean has also been largely absent. Instead of traditional media access, artists are often choosing to communicate through social media or maintaining complete silence. A monologue, rather than a dialogue, is changing the dynamics of celebrity journalism. In-depth interviews have been important for creating stars since the 1960s, but also for maintaining their image. Celebrities used to continue engaging with the media even after reaching the height of fame, as answering questions was seen as part of their job. This was a way for cultural figures to explain themselves, such as John Lennon discussing the Beatles' breakup, Tupac Shakur speaking from jail, or Courtney Love after Kurt Cobain's death. It used to be enlightening for fans and a point of pride for celebrities, especially when the discussions were challenging. Stars like Ice Cube and Madonna thrived in these situations, showing themselves to be thoughtful, unafraid of criticism, and aware of their public image. This was during a time when print media held a lot of power, before the internet and TMZ took control of the narrative. As celebrities' every move began to be constantly documented, they became more hesitant. This shift alone wouldn't necessarily mean the end of traditional celebrity journalism. The pressure on celebrity journalism from higher authorities may not be as significant as the threat emerging from below, where a new generation of celebrities, such as YouTube stars and SoundCloud rappers, are sharing extensively on social media on their own terms. This generation moves quickly and decisively without the need for patience and pushback they might face in traditional interviews. They prioritize all-access hyper-documentation over the promise of celebrity journalism, which focuses on intimate perspectives and behind-the-scenes access. An example of this shift is seen in rapper Lil Xan, who has played out various online dramas without waiting for traditional media to catch up to his story. In today's world, social media posts have replaced traditional tell-all interviews for celebrities. Ariana Grande, XXXTentacion, and Logan Paul have all used platforms like Instagram and YouTube to share their stories without facing much scrutiny. These platforms have become safe spaces for young celebrities, as their direct social media audience can reach more people than traditional publications. This shift has left celebrity journalism facing a difficult challenge, as the most famous celebrities no longer rely on it, and the newly famous grew up in a time when it was not as important. As time passes, the middle ground may disappear completely. Additionally, there is now a wide range of content being created, making it hard for consumers to distinguish between original reporting and aggregated content, journalistic outlets and branded content. This lack of clarity pushes well-known figures away from traditional media, where they have less control over the end result. As traditional media outlets face extinction, the new media landscape is often seen as a way to correct or divert attention. For example, Selena Gomez is featured on the cover of Elle this month, with a relatively harmless accompanying story. When the interview was published online, she responded with a lengthy Instagram post expressing her frustration. She mentioned how difficult it was for her to speak for over an hour and have someone else turn those thoughts into paid content. As she gets older, she wants her voice to be heard more clearly. She listed the specific topics she wanted to discuss in the interview and expressed disappointment that her personal life and church received more attention. With the power dynamic leaning towards celebrities, publications have had to resort to finding ways to trade control for access in order to stay afloat. This has led to celebrities guest editing special issues of magazines. Swift was featured on the cover of Harper's Bazaar this year, but instead of being interviewed, she was the one asking questions to 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 fame and the cover star taking control of their own image. As an alternative, magazines can have a friend of the celebrity conduct the interview if the star is not available for an interview. The magazine Interview is known for featuring conversations between celebrities, such as Jennifer Lawrence interviewing Emma Stone in Elle. Recently, the magazine was revived and in the new issue, Raf Simons talks with George Condo and Jennifer Jason Leigh talks to Phoebe Cates, with a journalist occasionally chiming in. The magazine also features interviews with non-famous friends. For example, Blake Lively interviewed Gigi Hadid for Harper's Bazaar and Katy Perry's interview for Glamour was conducted by Instagram affirmation specialist Cleo Wade. In a recent Rolling Stone article featuring the usually private pop star Sia, the author reveals himself as a close friend of hers. Similarly, a recent interview with Soon-Yi Previn, Woody Allen's wife, in New York magazine was conducted by a longtime friend of Allen, sparking criticism on Twitter. These articles rely on the idea of friendship to provide insight, instead of maintaining objectivity as journalists should. The unspoken agreement in celebrity profiles is that the journalist represents the reader, not the subject. However, in the pursuit of exclusive access, ethical boundaries are often ignored. Friendship should not be a requirement in journalism, as it prevents critical and probing conversations that could be enlightening for both fans and the interview subjects. Instead of pushing back and asking tough questions, many stars have become closed off, missing out on opportunities to showcase their complexity. It is unfortunate that we may never learn the answers to the unasked questions. Text = Copyright 2018 New York Times News Service.