When did a tabloid become a legitamate “news” source?

I just wasted 7 minutes of my life skimming a ridiculous “news” story pulled straight from the supermarket tabloids. The reason I spent so long was that I couldn’t pull myself away from the comments section. Do people really read the tabloids for actual news? I always thought they were just there to be funny. Batboy, the president (whichever was in power at the time) meeting with aliens, human remains on the moon and what not. Seriously, folks. I suppose the cover shots have improved. Now they’re actual photos with inflammatory headlines rather than hack and slash photoshop (or cut and paste back in the pre-digital days) dreck. I’ve just always lived with the understanding that the National Enquirer et al were there purely for amusement while you waiting in the checkout line, but apparently that’s not the case all around. Has the “journalism” improved, or has the internet just given an international voice to the readers and believers.