The tabloid press sparking developments that it can then cover, is decades old at least. Things like giving cash to a celebrity who is well-known for drug or alcohol addiction, so that the tabloid can then write about the crazy bender that he goes on with that money.

Huh I didn't know about that. But it seems like those old tabloid shenanigans at least took some effort for the press :p

Is that worth the risk though? There's more than enough inflammatory stories out there that it's hardly necessary to invent one.