The Scoop on TMZ

 Why TMZ is Unethical

TMZ is a tabloid news outlet that focuses mostly on celebrities. The program is infamous for being the first to report on an event, which has gotten them in trouble on more than one occasion. The writers at TMZ get their information from anonymous or known tips. These tips may be true or false and TMZ does little research before surfacing a story on the subject. 




Most recently, their biggest judgement has come in regards to their coverage of the death of Kobe Bryant and his daughter. TMZ received an anonymous tip about the helicopter crash involving Bryant and his daughter. The writers devoted only an hour of research before posting the story. They were the first news outlet to provide information on the crash and those involved. 

Due to the speed of their coverage, TMZ suffered an incredible amount of criticism, considering they had announced it before the coroner had even verified the identities of those who died in the crash. The SJP (Society of Professional Journalists)'s Code of Ethics states that reporting factual information is important, however it is just as important to minimize the harm that may be brought onto those involved.

This is not the first time that TMZ has been scrutinized for occurances similar to this and, unfortunately, something tells me it will not be the last time.   


Images: 

https://arceng.net/projects/entertainment/tmz/

https://www.nba.com/kobe-bryant-tribute

Source:

https://dailytitan.com/opinion/tmz-places-first-at-breaking-stories-and-last-in-ethics/article_f2c8ba6f-a09d-5239-8668-aee671e23dd5.html



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