A tabloid is a type of newspaper that has a compact page size smaller than broadsheet). The word "tabloid" comes from the name given by the London-based pharmaceutical company Burroughs Wellcome & Co. to the compressed tablets they marketed as "Tabloid" pills in the late 1880s). Tabloids are often associated with sensationalized media, such as criminal activity and scandal. They employ a form of writing known as tabloid journalism, which emphasizes features such as sensational crime stories, astrology, gossip columns about the personal lives of celebrities and sports stars, and junk food news).

Some key points about tabloids include:

• There is no standard size for this newspaper format).
• Red top tabloids, named after their distinguishing red mastheads, are known for their sensationalized news stories).
• In the UK, tabloids were generally associated with the working class, while broadsheets attracted middle to upper-class readers.
• Today, tabloids still feature shorter stories with bold headlines while broadsheets maintain a more conservative presentation of the news.
• Tabloids can be positioned as upmarket (quality) newspapers, middle-market (popular), or downmarket (sensational) newspapers).

Tabloids can be found in many countries, including the UK, Australia, Argentina, and the United States). They are often used to target a specific type of consumer that may be of interest to a company, depending on its products. However, since tabloids are prone to printing sensational, even fake, news, companies or individuals that get caught in their crossfire need to have a plan in place to respond.