New York: Celebrity-gossip news site TMZ got on the wrong side of the California police on January 26, when they announced the death of Kobe Bryant and six others in a helicopter crash.
According to a report by CNN Business, TMZ was the first to report the news, much before the police had a chance to notify the families of the victims.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Vilanueva, during a press meet, slammed the website saying that it would be “extremely disrespectful” to learn that a loved one perished from TMZ. “That is inappropriate,” he said.
Taking to Twitter, Los Angeles County Undersheriff Tim Murakami wrote, “I am saddened that I was gathering facts as a media outlet reported … Kobe had passed. I understand getting the scoop but please allow us time to make personal notifications to their loved ones, It’s very cold to hear of the loss via media. Breaks my heart.”
TMZ, however, has not commented on the incident.
The celebrity-gossip site has developed a large network of informants over the years and includes entertainment lawyers, court officials and others, according to an article on The New Yorker.
They have done this by reportedly compensating the tipsters, something that other newsrooms don’t do.
Matthew Belloni, the editorial director of The Hollywood Reporter, told CNN that TMZ has an “in” with those who know information about high-profile people. “If TMZ reports that a celebrity has died in Los Angeles County, it is almost always correct,” he added.
He, however, said that newsrooms are cautious when it comes to citing TMZ until they have confirmed the information themselves.
