The Scoop - by Erin Van Der Meer (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

A piercing satire about a journalist working the night shift at a tabloid and the explosive consequences of her "harmless" clickbait.

Washed-up New York journalist Frankie Miller is getting desperate. Since the twenty-nine-year-old lost her dream job at a glossy magazine three months ago, her days have been filled with overdue bills, cereal for dinner, and a flood of rejection emails (not to mention her ex has a new girlfriend). So when she's offered a job at The Scoop, a tabloid website run by tyrannical editor-in-chief David Brown, she can't exactly afford to say no--even if it means swallowing her pride for clicks. Besides, for Frankie, it's just a paycheck, a temporary detour. It's not forever.

But the deeper she's pulled into the breakneck world of tabloid journalism, the blurrier the line between ambition and morality becomes--until she crosses it. When her reporting humiliates a beloved pop star and dredges up grief over her late mother, Frankie sets off a chain reaction that spirals beyond her control. In an industry where reputation is currency and outrage sells, how far is Frankie willing to go--and how much is she willing to lose--to win at this ruthless game?

Sharp, witty, and unflinchingly bold, The Scoop is a searing exploration of ambition, exploitation, and the human toll of the 24/7 news cycle.

Review Quotes

"The Scoop calls out the modern tabloid newsroom for the dark funhouse mirror it is--where outrage is currency, empathy is a liability, and even the most earnest idealists must learn to weaponize gossip and the private lives of others. Following one journalist's plunge from glossy-magazine dreams to clickbait drudgery, Erin Van Der Meer captures with biting humor, sharp insight, and impeccable pacing the contradictions of a dying industry clinging to whatever attention it can still scrounge. Anyone who's ever worked in a newsroom--or dreamed of it--will recognize the desperation, the absurdity, and the flickering hope that maybe, somehow, it still matters. I loved this."
--Andrew Boryga, award-winning author of Victim

"I gorged on The Scoop as though reading an explosive exposé about the state of the world--which, in many ways, I was. Erin Van Der Meer has crafted a devastating satire that reads the media, and those devoted to making a name for themselves within it, for filth. Smart, savage, and tinged with grief, The Scoop is required reading for anyone who has compromised themselves today for a better tomorrow."
--Ruth Madievsky, award-winning author of All-Night Pharmacy

"A thrilling page-turner about how far one ambitious journalist will go to land the story that could change her fortunes. It's also a scathing satire of the media outlets that run on celebrity gossip--and our own bottomless appetite for stories of the worst moments in celebrities' lives. I absolutely devoured it."
--Leigh Stein, bestselling author of Self Care

"Whiplash meets tabloid journalism in this electric debut. The Scoop's provocative, propulsive story and relentless protagonist kept me hooked and made me reflect on my own role in a culture of navel-gazing and the attention economy."
--Warona Jay, author of The Grand Scheme of Things

"A darkly funny satirical peek into the world of late-night tabloid journalism and the chaos of our times. With explorations on grief, ambition, and privilege in the media industry, [The Scoop] quickly becomes tough to look away from."
--Natalie Sue, internationally bestselling author of I Hope This Finds You Well

"Snappy, fun, and set in the always-fascinating world of New York media. Loved it!"
--Cat Marnell, New York Times bestselling author of How to Murder Your Life

"An urgent, searing satire of the media that tracks the steady decline of a previously 'respectable' journalist, Frankie, as she is sucked into the ruthless snake pit of tabloid journalism. Through exceptional storytelling, this novel explores the cost of ambition, murky moral boundaries, and poses the question: in our perpetual pursuit of information, are we--the reader--really any better than the news outlets whose articles we consume by the dozen? I loved it!"
--Georgia McVeigh, author of Sorry for Your Loss

"Erin Van Der Meer's The Scoop follows down-and-out journalist Frankie Miller as she navigates grief, the dark side of ambition, the sometimes-unbearable pain of self-discovery, all while sinking to absolute rock bottom. A timely, commanding, blistering debut, this one's sure to leave a lasting mark."
--Ashley Tate, internationally bestselling author of Twenty-Seven Minutes

About the Author

Erin Van Der Meer is a writer and former journalist whose work has appeared in publications including The New York Times, The Daily Beast, and Elle. She was a Spruceton Inn Artist Resident in 2024. Born in Sydney, Australia, she now lives in Brooklyn. The Scoop is her debut.