I heard an interview of the Enquirer’s founder’s son, who said that his father’s philosophy was to expose scum, but leave people who were sincere alone.
It’s why Billy Graham, for example, was always written in a positive way, but the televangelists were raked over coals.
If you’re going to write soft news, it’s a respectable way to do it.
Generally true back in the days when I was a working newsie in Memphis as well, though as public perceptions of some flawed personalities became known, both the public and the Enq's coverage of them harshened.
Another detail of note: Circa 1995, Enquirer staffers were paid around 4-5 times what those of us in news bureaus, the AP/UPI and other wire services, and most major metro daily rags were paid. This was a cause for resentment, jealousy- and a scramble for the money when such positions became vacant. It was really amazing how many folks in the news biz were tipsters for the Enq, feeding them stories their own papers had spiked or shunned.