TMZ is a
tabloid news website owned by
Fox Corporation
Fox Corporation (stylized in all-caps as FOX Corporation) is a publicly traded American mass media company operated and controlled by media mogul Rupert Murdoch and headquartered at 1211 Avenue of the Americas in New York City. Incorporated ...
. It made its debut on November 8, 2005, originally as a collaboration between
AOL
AOL (stylized as Aol., formerly a company known as AOL Inc. and originally known as America Online) is an American web portal and online service provider based in New York City. It is a brand marketed by the current incarnation of Yahoo (2017â ...
and
Telepictures
Telepictures (also known as Telepictures Productions; formerly known as Telepictures Distribution and Telepictures Corporation) is an American television show and filmmaking company, currently operating as a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Television S ...
, a division of
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Di ...
, until Time Warner divested AOL in 2009. On September 13, 2021, Fox Corporation acquired TMZ from WarnerMedia for $50 million.
The name ''TMZ'' is derived from the acronym for ''
thirty-mile zone
The studio zone, also known as the thirty-mile zone (TMZ), is an area defined by a radius of "Hollywood" used by the American entertainment industry to determine employee benefits for filmwork done within it. Its center has traditionally been ...
'' that was historically used in the film and television industry to refer to the so-called "studio zone"âan area with a radius centered on the intersection of
Beverly Boulevard
Beverly Boulevard is one of the main eastâwest thoroughfares in Los Angeles, in the U.S. state of California. It begins off Santa Monica Boulevard in Beverly Hills, California, Beverly Hills and ends on the Lucas Avenue overpass near downtown ...
and
La Cienega Boulevard
La Cienega Boulevard is a major northâsouth arterial road that runs between El Segundo Boulevard in Hawthorne, California on the south and the Sunset Strip/Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood to the north. It was named for Rancho Las Cienegas, ...
in
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ăngeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
. It was called the studio zone because of the number of film and television studios contained within it.
TMZ's
managing editor
A managing editor (ME) is a senior member of a publication's management team. Typically, the managing editor reports directly to the editor-in-chief and oversees all aspects of the publication.
United States
In the United States, a managing edito ...
is
Harvey Levin
Harvey Robert Levin (born September 2, 1950) is an American television producer, legal analyst, celebrity reporter, and former lawyer. He is the founder of celebrity news website TMZ, and the former host of ''OBJECTified'', which aired on the Fo ...
, a lawyer-turned-journalist who was previously a legal expert for the Los Angeles television station
KCBS-TV
KCBS-TV (channel 2) is a television station in Los Angeles, California, United States, serving as the West Coast flagship of the CBS network. It is owned and operated by the network's CBS News and Stations division alongside independent outl ...
. While the TMZ website claims that it does not pay writers for stories or interviews, Levin has acknowledged that TMZ does "sometimes pay sources for leads on stories".
Development
Three months prior to the official launch of TMZ, America Online (AOL) had hinted that it was planning to launch a Hollywood and entertainment-centric news site that would be produced in conjunction with
Telepictures Productions
Telepictures (also known as Telepictures Productions; formerly known as Telepictures Distribution and Telepictures Corporation) is an American television show and filmmaking company, currently operating as a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Television S ...
and had shown interest in launching a website featuring a focus mainly on celebrities.
At the time of the launch, AOL confirmed that the site would primarily feature and consist of Hollywood gossip, including interviews, photos and video footage of celebrities and information pertaining to industry news on movies, television shows, etc.
The site was described as "an effort to further feed the current American obsession with celebrities". Mike Shields of MediaWeek.com wrote, "the site also boasts of an expansive collection of archived star photos and videos", allowing fans to "trace changing hairlines and waistlines of their favorites performers over the years".
Company synopsis
![Victory Studios](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Victory_Studios.jpg)
Since 2005, TMZ has signed
New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema is an American film production studio owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and is a film label of Warner Bros. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye as an independent film distribution company; later becoming a film studio after acq ...
,
Hilton Hotels
Hilton Hotels & Resorts (formerly known as Hilton Hotels) is a global brand of full-service hotels and resorts and the flagship brand of American multinational hospitality company Hilton.
The original company was founded by Conrad Hilton. As ...
,
Chrysler
Stellantis North America (officially FCA US and formerly Chrysler ()) is one of the " Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is the American subsidiary of the multinational automoti ...
and
Revlon
Revlon, Inc. is an American multinational company dealing in cosmetics, skin care, fragrance, and personal care. The headquarters of Revlon was established in New York City on March 1, 1932, where it still remains. Revlon was founded by brothe ...
as charter advertisers to their website.
''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' cited TMZ as "one of the most successful online ventures of the last few years."
In October 2008, the ''New York Times'' reported that TMZ, at the time, was receiving more than 10 million viewers every month.
Levin has acknowledged that TMZ has passed on multiple notable coverages because he felt that, while the stories are true, he questioned how the sources obtained their information.
Levin has acknowledged that TMZ pays sources, but in the form of a "tip fee". Levin stated that TMZ pays for photos and for 'tips' or leads on stories, and defended TMZ's position by stating that the sources and tips are verified before being used or reported.
In November 2009, TMZ's revenue was publicly disclosed for the first time.
Telepictures (which TMZ is operated by) stated: "Subject to certain performance adjustments and the reimbursement of expenses, revenues are split evenly between the parties
..Telepictures received payments of 6.2 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2009, and 12.7 million, 9.6 million and 3.0 million in 2008, 2007 and 2006, respectively."
Based on released figures, TMZ's revenues for 2008 was 25.4 million and is projected to have less revenue in the 2009 year with the revenue of $12.4 million in first three quarters of the yearâunlike the previous year, which was within the 15 million range.
On May 29, 2012, co-founder
Jim Paratore
James Paratore (August 13, 1953 â May 29, 2012) was an American television producer and longtime Warner Bros executive whose credits included ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'', ''The Tyra Banks Show''and ''The Rosie O'Donnell Show''. Paratore co-fou ...
died of a
heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...
during a cycling trip in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. Paratore was known for his work in television production, producing several daytime and syndicated programs, particularly while serving as an executive at
Telepictures
Telepictures (also known as Telepictures Productions; formerly known as Telepictures Distribution and Telepictures Corporation) is an American television show and filmmaking company, currently operating as a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Television S ...
(which co-produced the website's companion
syndicated television series).
Legal issues
Contempt-of-court motion
On June 20, 2007, a court-appointed bankruptcy trustee filed an emergency motion requesting that the TMZ website be held in
contempt
Contempt is a pattern of attitudes and behaviour, often towards an individual or a group, but sometimes towards an ideology, which has the characteristics of disgust and anger.
The word originated in 1393 in Old French contempt, contemps, ...
for its publication of the entire manuscript of ''
If I Did It
''If I Did It'' is a book by O. J. Simpson and Pablo Fenjves, in which Simpson puts forth a âhypotheticalâ description of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. Simpson's former manager, Norman Pardo, claimed that Simpson was ...
'',
O. J. Simpson's purportedly fictionalized account of the murder of
Ron Goldman
Ronald Lyle Goldman (July 2, 1968 â June 12, 1994) was an American restaurant waiter and a friend of Nicole Brown Simpson, the ex-wife of the American football player O.J. Simpson. He was murdered, along with Brown, at her home in Los Angele ...
and
Nicole Brown Simpson
Nicole Brown Simpson (nĂ©e Brown; May 19, 1959 â June 12, 1994) was the ex-wife of the former professional American football player, O. J. Simpson, to whom she was married from 1985 to 1992. She was the mother of their two children, Sydney an ...
.
The filing claimed TMZ's posting of the
PDF
Portable Document Format (PDF), standardized as ISO 32000, is a file format developed by Adobe in 1992 to present documents, including text formatting and images, in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems. ...
of the entire book has "diminished or destroyed" its value.
Photographer altercation
While actor
Woody Harrelson
Woodrow Tracy Harrelson (born July 23, 1961) is an American actor and playwright. He is the recipient of various accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards, in addition to nominations for three Academy Award ...
was at New York City's
LaGuardia Airport
LaGuardia Airport is a civil airport in East Elmhurst, Queens, New York City. Covering , the facility was established in 1929 and began operating as a public airport in 1939. It is named after former New York City mayor Fiorello La Guardia. ...
, he had an altercation with a photographer for TMZ.
Harrelson defended himself stating that he had at the time just finished filming his scenes from the horror film, that consists mainly of zombies, ''
Zombieland
''Zombieland'' is a 2009 American post-apocalyptic zombie comedy film directed by Ruben Fleischer in his theatrical debut and written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. The film follows a geeky college student ( Jesse Eisenberg) making his wa ...
'', and that he was "startled" by the TMZ photographer. "I wrapped a movie called Zombieland, in which I was constantly under assault by zombies, then flew to New York, still very much in character ... With my daughter at the airport I was startled by a paparazzo, who I quite understandably mistook for a zombie."
Temporary block in the UK
On December 24, 2010, the gossip blog "
Oh No They Didn't
Oh No They Didn't, also known as ONTD, is the largest community on LiveJournal with over 100,000 members. The community focuses on celebrity gossip and popular culture, pop culture with most of its posts aggregated from other gossip blogs. The site ...
" reported that TMZ began blocking traffic from the
UK, displaying the message: "Due to laws within your region, you are unable to view this website." Asked for further comment, TMZ responded that the blocking was due to "legal restrictions" related to
English defamation law
Modern libel and slander laws in many countries are originally descended from English defamation law. The history of defamation law in England is somewhat obscure; civil actions for damages seem to have been relatively frequent as far back as th ...
. The UK website "
Popbitch
Popbitch is a weekly UK-based celebrity and pop music newsletter and associated dating website from the early 2000s. Much of the material for the newsletter comes from the Popbitch message boards, frequented by music industry insiders, gossips an ...
Board" noted on December 31, 2010, that it is possible to get around the block by accessing the website through the Google Translate website. As of January 7, 2011, TMZ is accessible in the UK.
Branches
''TMZ Live''
''TMZ Live'' is a live-chat program from TMZ that features Levin and fellow TMZ
executive producer
Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights o ...
Charles Latibeaudiere, and occasionally senior producer Michael Babcock filling in for one or both hosts. Other TMZ staffers (mainly those who regularly appear on ''TMZ on TV'') also appear on the broadcast as contributors to provide additional outline of the story as well as to provide opinion. The live webcast takes place at the TMZ offices in Los Angeles,
[Harvey Levin confirmed, during a TMZ live chat, that the live chat takes place in TMZ's office.] and is broadcast on TMZ.com Monday through Fridays from approximately 1:30 to 3:00 p.m.
Eastern Time
The Eastern Time Zone (ET) is a time zone encompassing part or all of 23 states in the eastern part of the United States, parts of eastern Canada, the state of Quintana Roo in Mexico, Panama, Colombia, mainland Ecuador, Peru, and a small port ...
(the length varies depending on the featured segments).
The ''TMZ Live'' television and Internet programs review stories that TMZ is covering on the website, and at times, features live interviews (most of which are conducted through
webcam
A webcam is a video camera which is designed to record or stream to a computer or computer network. They are primarily used in videotelephony, livestreaming and social media, and security. Webcams can be built-in computer hardware or peripheral d ...
conferencing) as well as viewer opinions via
Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
, telephone and video chat (including
Skype
Skype () is a proprietary telecommunications application operated by Skype Technologies, a division of Microsoft, best known for VoIP-based videotelephony, videoconferencing and voice calls. It also has instant messaging, file transfer, deb ...
). In addition, the program features regular segments towards the end of each edition: "Viewer's Choice" (aired as the penultimate segment) featuring viewer questions or comments about stories featured in the broadcast, with additional commentary or analysis by the hosts. "Hate Mail," featured on the Wednesday edition of the webcast (the Thursday edition on the television broadcast), in which negative emails and letters sent by viewers (some of which feature potshots at Levin or Latibeaudiere) are read by the hosts
"Tim's Rejects," featured on the Thursday edition of the webcast (the Friday edition on the television broadcast), in which staffer Tim Nowak presents three offbeat news stories (that are not entertainment or sports-related) which are critiqued by the hosts. "The Loser's Circle," featured on the Friday edition of the webcast (the Monday edition on the television broadcast) since February 2015, in which Levin, Latibeaudiere and ''TMZ on TV'' executive producer Evan Rosenblum judge a clip from a TMZ videographer that was originally rejected from being posted on TMZ.com by Levin or broadcast on ''TMZ on TV'' by post-production supervisor Chad Weiser following its initial pitch. "Tim's Rejects" and "Hate Mail" were previously aired as the last segment of their respective editions until April 2015, when they were shifted to the block preceding that occupied by the "Viewer's Choice" segment (at which point, all three segments as well as "The Loser's Circle" began to be followed by a story segment).
In March 2012,
Fox Television Stations
Fox Television Stations, LLC (FTS; alternately Fox Television Stations Group, LLC), is a group of television stations located within the United States, which are owned-and-operated by the Fox Broadcasting Company, a subsidiary of the Fox Corp ...
tested a
syndicated broadcast of ''TMZ Live'' (which is an hour-long edited version of the live webcast that is broadcast on a one-day delay from its original tape date, with segments aired in a different order, mainly due to live interviews that require the segment to be shown out of order on the webcast for varied reasons) on its television stations in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ăngeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
and
Phoenix
Phoenix most often refers to:
* Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore
* Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States
Phoenix may also refer to:
Mythology
Greek mythological figures
* Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
. In June 2012,
SiriusXM
Sirius XM Holdings Inc. is an American broadcasting company headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City that provides satellite radio and online radio services operating in the United States. It was formed by the 2008 merger of Sirius S ...
Radio announced that the show would be aired daily on its
Sirius XM Stars
Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky. Its name is derived from the Greek word , or , meaning 'glowing' or 'scorching'. The star is designated α Canis Majoris, Latinized to Alpha Canis Majoris, and abbreviated Alpha CM ...
channel. In October of that year, the television show was expanded to seven markets, adding
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
,
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
,
Dallas
Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the DallasâFort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
,
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United StatesâCanada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
and
Minneapolis
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
. On September 9, 2013, ''TMZ Live'' began airing on all 18 Fox
owned-and-operated station
In the broadcasting industry, an owned-and-operated station (frequently abbreviated as an O&O) usually refers to a television or radio station owned by the network with which it is associated. This distinguishes such a station from an affiliate ...
s. The program began to be syndicated to stations outside of the Fox Television Stations group in the spring of 2014.
''TMZ on TV''
On September 10, 2007, TMZ launched an accompanying television series, ''
TMZ on TV
''TMZ on TV'' (also known as ''TMZ on Fox'' and simply as ''TMZ'' or ''TMZTV'') is an American syndicated entertainment and gossip news television show that premiered on September 10, 2007 (its major carriage is among television stations owned ...
''.
The syndicated television program airs Monday through Fridays.
In the United States, the show airs in various timeslots on stations of varying network affiliation (primarily on
Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
stations), mainly either in early primetime or after late local newscasts, with an hour-long 'best-of' program compiling select stories from the weekday broadcasts airing on weekends. The show covers stories similar to those found on the website and ''TMZ Live'', with the main difference being that ''TMZ on TV'' largely delivers its stories in a humorous manner whereas a mix of humorous and serious news stories appear on the website and companion web/television series. TMZ offers viewers the option of being able to view the two most recent episodes of the program on TMZ.com after the episode's original airdate (being available for viewing for two days after the broadcast on weekdays and three days after the original broadcast on weekends).
Chris Persell, of TVWeek.com, stated that the show is a "complement
othe website, with news updates added to later airings of the show".
Levin and
Jim Paratore
James Paratore (August 13, 1953 â May 29, 2012) was an American television producer and longtime Warner Bros executive whose credits included ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'', ''The Tyra Banks Show''and ''The Rosie O'Donnell Show''. Paratore co-fou ...
served as executive producers to the show, and the on-air cast originally included Teresa Strasser,
John Fugelsang
John Joseph Fugelsang (born September 3, 1969) is an American actor, comedian, writer, television host, political commentator and television personality.
Early life and education
Fugelsang was born on Long Island, New York. Of Danish, German, a ...
, Ben Mankiewicz and Michael Hundgen.
David Bianculli of ''
The New York Daily News
The New York ''Daily News'', officially titled the ''Daily News'', is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, NJ. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in ta ...
'' strongly criticized the television show, its topics, and what he sees as its reporters' tactics and lack of professionalism.
''Dax Chat''
''Dax Chat'' is a live chat program on
Ustream
IBM Watson Media (formerly Ustream and IBM Cloud Video) is an American virtual events platform company which is a division of IBM. Prior to IBM acquisition, it had more than 180 employees across San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Budapest offices. ...
hosted by TMZ clip clearance producer
Dax Holt. In the broadcasts, Holt talks to "Chizzlers" about celebrity gossip and articles that have been posted on the TMZ website.
''TMZ Sports''
As early as 2009, Levin was rumored to be interested in creating a TMZ branded sports site. The site was initially expected to launch in March 2010 but those plans did not see fruition. It eventually launched as a branded section on the main TMZ website in June 2013.
Premiere Networks
Premiere Networks (formerly Premiere Radio Networks, shortened as PRN) is an American media company, a wholly owned subsidiary of iHeartMedia, for which it currently serves as its main original radio content distribution and production arm. It ...
launched a daily ''TMZ Sports'' radio show in October 2013. A television show began testmarketing on select regional Fox stations in January 2014.
It then aired during the 2014/2015 seasons on
Reelz
Reelz (formerly known as Reelz Channel) is an American digital cable and satellite television network owned by Hubbard Broadcasting. The network's programming was formerly devoted to entertainment-oriented programming focusing on the Hollywood ...
under name ''TMZ Hollywood Sports''.
On November 9, 2015, the series reverted to being known as ''TMZ Sports'' and moved to
Fox Sports 1
Fox Sports 1 (FS1) is an American pay television channel owned by the Fox Sports Media Group, a unit of Fox Corporation. FS1 replaced the motorsports network Speed on August 17, 2013, at the same time that its companion channel Fox Sports 2 ...
. ''TMZ Sports'' is co-hosted by TMZ Sports Executive Producer Michael Babcock, WNBA player
Renee Montgomery
Renee Danielle Montgomery (born December 2, 1986) is an American former professional basketball player, sports broadcaster and activist who is currently vice president, part-owner, and investor of the Atlanta Dream, and one of three owners of th ...
, and former WWE Superstar and NFL player,
Mojo Muhtadi.
''TMZ France''
TMZ France was created on December 18, 2012.
Criticism
Since the launch of TMZ, the website has faced criticism, varying from attempted boycotts to criticism of its journalism tactics and of its focus. It has been criticized for its usage of photographs and videos obtained from
paparazzi
Paparazzi (, ; ; singular: masculine paparazzo or feminine paparazza) are independent photographers who take pictures of high-profile people; such as actors, musicians, athletes, politicians, and other celebrities, typically while subjects ...
.
Some have questioned the effect that aggressive and obtrusive photographers have on the subjects they cover.
Many of the videos on the site show, in the footage, that their paparazzi chase people (mainly celebrities)âa practice that has been called dangerous
and "creepy".
Over the years, some have called for a boycott of TMZ and of the accompanying show.
TMZ has also faced internal criticism due to Harvey Levin's emerging support for
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
in the run-up to the
2016 United States presidential election
The 2016 United States presidential election was the 58th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016. The Republican ticket of businessman Donald Trump and Indiana governor Mike Pence defeated the Democratic ticket ...
. By 2020, dozens of former TMZ employees had spoken to the media about a racist and misogynistic workplace culture which TMZ's internal leadership was unwilling to change.
Reporting of suicide details
After
Linkin Park
Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. The band's current lineup comprises vocalist/rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Mike Shinoda, lead guitarist Brad Delson, bassist Dave Farrell, DJ/turntablist Joe Hahn and drummer ...
lead vocalist
Chester Bennington
Chester Charles Bennington (March 20, 1976 â July 20, 2017) was an American singer and songwriter who was best known as the lead vocalist of rock band Linkin Park. He was also the lead vocalist of the bands Grey Daze, Dead by Sunrise, a ...
died by suicide in July 2017, TMZ reported in December 2017 that Bennington had attempted to drown himself nine months before his death; this information had been redacted from the Los Angeles County Coroner's report following a request from a lawyer representing Bennington's widow, Talinda. Talinda responded with criticism of the Los Angeles County Coroner's office for disclosing the information to TMZ as well as TMZ itself, concluding a
Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
tirade with the
hashtag
A hashtag is a metadata tag that is prefaced by the hash (also known as pound or octothorpe) sign, ''#''. On social media, hashtags are used on microblogging and photo-sharing services such as Twitter or Instagram as a form of user-generated ...
"#FuckyouTMZ".
In May 2018, TMZ reported intimate details of the suicide of Swedish DJ
Avicii
Tim Bergling (; 8 September 1989 â 20 April 2018), known professionally as Avicii (, ), was a Swedish DJ, remixer and music producer. At the age of 16, Bergling began posting his remixes on electronic music forums, which led to his first rec ...
, who had died that April, with the headline "Aviciiâs suicide caused by self-inflicted cuts from glass".
Jennifer Michael Hecht
Jennifer Michael Hecht (born November 23, 1965) is a teacher, author, poet, historian, and philosopher. She was an associate professor of history at Nassau Community College (1994-2007) and most recently taught at The New School in New York Cit ...
, writing for
''Vox'', criticized TMZ's reporting as being
sensationalist
In journalism and mass media, sensationalism is a type of editorial tactic. Events and topics in news stories are selected and worded to excite the greatest number of readers and viewers. This style of news reporting encourages biased or emotio ...
and going against the CDC's recommended guidelines for reporting suicides, which include not mentioning the method of suicide.
Talinda Bennington also reacted unfavorably, urging people to "
otclick on the TMZ article or any other about the private details of Aviciiâs passing", adding "This is how
ecan stop
ilthy TMZ"
Stolen Indiana Jones items
TMZ faced strong criticism for purchasing stolen items pertaining to the fourth Indiana Jones film, ''
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
''Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'' is a 2008 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg and the fourth installment in the ''Indiana Jones'' series. Released and taking place 19 years after the previous ...
''.
On October 2, 2007, IESB reported that a number of production photos and sensitive documents pertaining to the production budget had been stolen from
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Spie ...
's production office.
''Movie City News'', which strongly criticized TMZ for purchasing stolen items, remarked that the then-new website "wasn't getting off to a good start".
According to IESB, TMZ had obtained some of the stolen property and was planning on running a story about the topic on their TV show, until the lawyers of the film's production company,
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...
, intervened. Shortly after IESB broke the story, TMZ broadcast details about the ''Indiana Jones'' production budget on their show on October 3, 2007.
Story-gathering tactics
Tony Manfred of ''
The Cornell Daily Sun
''The Cornell Daily Sun'' is an independent daily newspaper published in Ithaca, New York by students at Cornell University and hired employees.
''The Sun'' features coverage of the university and its environs as well as stories from the Associa ...
'' criticized TMZ in a September 2007 article entitled "I Want My TMZ", describing TMZ as being "a fusion of celebrity news blog and embarrassing video archive" and stating that he felt that the website had become "the poster child for the celebrity pseudo-news industry" and that the website has "distinct advantages" over "
gossip magazine
A gossip magazine, also referred to as a tabloid magazine, is a magazine that features scandalous stories about the personal lives of celebrities and other well-known individuals. In North America, this genre of magazine flourished in the 1950s an ...
s" because it can "show all the borderline pornographic clips that ''
Entertainment Tonight
''Entertainment Tonight'' (or simply ''ET'') is an American Broadcast syndication, first-run syndicated news broadcasting news magazine, newsmagazine program that is distributed by CBS Media Ventures throughout the United States and owned by Para ...
'' and ''
Access Hollywood
''Access Hollywood'', formerly known as ''Access'' from 2017 to 2019, is an American weekday television entertainment news program that premiered on September 9, 1996. It covers events and celebrities in the entertainment industry. It was created ...
'' can't."
Jennifer Metz and David Muir of
ABC News
ABC News is the news division of the American broadcast network ABC. Its flagship program is the daily evening newscast ''ABC World News Tonight, ABC World News Tonight with David Muir''; other programs include Breakfast television, morning ...
acknowledged that TMZ has long been criticized for their "aggressive tactics, antagonizing stars with video cameras" and noted that those "encounters, capturing at times violent celebrity confrontations with photographers, receive hundreds of hits online, and critics ask if entertainment reporters are crossing the line." Metz and Muir questioned whether TMZ's tactics "go too far".
Ken Sunshine
Ken Sunshine (born March 12, 1948) is an American public relations consultant, co-CEO and founder of Sunshine Sachs Consultants. He began his career in New York City politics, including serving as chief of staff for Mayor David Dinkins.
Early l ...
,
publicist
A publicist is a person whose job is to generate and manage publicity for a company, a brand, or public figure â especially a celebrity â or for a work such as a book, film, or album. Publicists are public relations specialists who ...
for
Ben Affleck
Benjamin GĂ©za Affleck (born August 15, 1972) is an American actor and filmmaker. His accolades include two Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards and a Volpi Cup.
Affleck began his career as a child when he starred in the PBS educationa ...
and
Leonardo DiCaprio, stated that his clients disliked the website because it has a tendency to be
negative towards celebrities when reporting on them. "I hate that they have anything to do with trying to put celebrities into the worst light possible and that they play the '
gotcha
Gotcha, a colloquial contraction for "got you" (got ya), may refer to:
Film and TV
* ''Gotcha!'' (film), a 1985 film starring Anthony Edwards and Linda Fiorentino
* "Gotcha!" (''Adventure Time''), an episode of ''Adventure Time''
* "Gotcha" ...
' game".
A student newspaper criticized TMZ for having a
personality cult
A cult of personality, or a cult of the leader, Mudde, Cas and Kaltwasser, CristĂłbal Rovira (2017) ''Populism: A Very Short Introduction''. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 63. is the result of an effort which is made to create an id ...
of figures such as
Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Dee Lohan ( ; born July 2, 1986) is an American actress and singer. Born in New York City and raised on Long Island, Lohan was signed to Ford Models at the age of three. Having appeared as a regular on the television soap opera '' An ...
and
Paris Hilton
Paris Whitney Hilton (born February 17, 1981) is an American media personality, businesswoman, socialite, model, and entertainer. Born in New York City, and raised there and in Beverly Hills, California, she is a great-granddaughter of Conra ...
âcelebrities who are known more as targets for paparazzi than for the work they do.
In defense for TMZ's coverage, Levin said that certain celebrities are main subjects on the website because of their "relevancy" and because their relevancy helps draw viewership to the website.
Liz Kelly of ''
Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' attacked both Levin and TMZ in an article, stating: "I know this is like spitting in the wind, but I have to say it: Harvey Levin, please stop it."
Murder of Andre Lowe
On January 16, 2013, Andre Lowe was killed outside of a nightclub in Hollywood. A nearby reporter from TMZ ended up filming the attack and it was posted to the website without permission of the family. On January 22, 2013, TMZ ended up taking down the video after over two dozen advertisers revoked ads for the website because of the campaign.
Death of Kobe Bryant
At 11:24 a.m. Pacific Time on January 26, 2020, TMZ reported on the
death
Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...
of basketball player
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 â January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely r ...
, being the first news outlet to do so.
TMZ received enormously negative criticism, notably from
Sheriff Alex Villanueva of the
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD), officially the County of Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, is a law enforcement agency serving Los Angeles County, California. LASD is the largest sheriff's department in the United States a ...
, for reporting on the story before the next of kin had been notified.
Johnny Depp Vs. Amber Heard
During the defamation trial against actress
Amber Heard
Amber Laura Heard (born April 22, 1986) is an American actress. She had her first leading role in the horror film ''All the Boys Love Mandy Lane'' (2006), and went on to star in films such as '' The Ward'' (2010) and ''Drive Angry'' (2011). Sh ...
, TMZ was a point of discussion and raised much criticism. Lawyer Camille Vasquez confronted Ms. Heard, claiming Heard gave a video of Depp being agitated and slamming cupboards to TMZ a day before the temporary restraining order (TRO) was filed. Vasquez also pointed out that TMZ had been alerted of the alleged abuse and the upcoming divorce in 2016, where Ms. Heard in her deposition mentioned that TMZ had been alerted. On May 24, 2022 TMZ, through EHM Productions Inc, filed an Emergency Motion to prevent a former employee from testifying in the Depp-Heard case. The motion was denied.
False news
John F. Kennedy
In what
The Smoking Gun
The Smoking Gun is a website that posts legal documents, arrest records, and police mugshots on a daily basis. The intent is to bring to the public light information that is somewhat obscure or unreported by more mainstream media sources. Most o ...
called "a colossal screw-up", in 2009 TMZ published an "exclusive" picture on their website of a man purported to be
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 â November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination i ...
on a ship with several naked women that could have "changed history" had it come out during his presidential campaign.
Despite having a
Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop is a raster graphics editor developed and published by Adobe Inc. for Windows and macOS. It was originally created in 1988 by Thomas and John Knoll. Since then, the software has become the industry standard not only in raster ...
expert proclaiming the picture as "authentic", the picture was later discovered to have not been of Kennedy at all. The photo was discovered to have been part of a ''
Playboy
''Playboy'' is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother.
K ...
'' photoshoot from November 1967, which was later confirmed by ''Playboy'' representatives.
Lil Wayne
On March 15, 2013, members of TMZ's staff claimed that they had learned rapper
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman (rapper), ...
was in an "unstable" condition after he was hospitalized following a seizure and that the then 30-year-old rapper had been placed in an induced coma and was breathing through tubes.
Soon afterwards,
Birdman stated on his Twitter account that Wayne was healthy enough to be released from the hospital.
Approximately one hour after these messages were made, Wayne himself stated on his Twitter account that he was fine.
Jerry Lee Lewis
On October 26, 2022, they incorrectly reported that
rock n' roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm an ...
pioneer and
country music
Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...
legend
Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis (September 29, 1935October 28, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Nicknamed "The Killer", he was described as "rock & roll's first great wild man". A pioneer of rock and roll and rockabilly music, Lewis made ...
had died, they issued a correction a few hours later. A
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainmen ...
affiliate in Sacramento also reported the
false news. Lewis' death was announced two days later.
References
Further reading
*
External links
*
*
TMZ TVOfficial
MySpace page
{{U.S. daytime talk shows
2005 establishments in California
American news websites
English-language websites
Internet properties established in 2005
Telepictures
Former AT&T subsidiaries
Former Time Warner subsidiaries
2021 mergers and acquisitions
Fox Corporation subsidiaries