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TMZ is making headlines again for another bad judgment call.
Like many outlets, on Wednesday, the gossip tabloid announced the unexpected death of One Direction singer Liam Payne, who died at age 31 after falling from the third-floor balcony of a hotel in Buenos Aires. But simply publishing the news on its website wasn't enough for TMZ, as it went a step further and released a cropped photo of Payne's lifeless body without a trigger warning for readers.
Per screenshots posted on social media, the TMZ article stated that the outlet "obtained a photo showing Liam's body on a wooden deck at the hotel with tables and chairs nearby." Alongside the photo of Payne, the news outlet added, "We're not showing the whole body, but you can clearly see his tattoos — a clock on his left forearm, and a scorpion on his abdomen."
The backlash online came immediately, with many calling TMZ out for its demoralizing approach to delivering sensitive news.
Even celebrities like Alessia Cara blasted the gossip rag for its unethical choice.
TMZ quietly removed the image of Payne's body overnight without adding an editor's note explaining the change. Instead, the outlet updated its article text to erase any mentions of publishing the photo. Both were bad decisions. This called into question journalistic integrity (or lack thereof), seeing that TMZ has acted without it in previous years.
In 2020, the gossip site was the first to swiftly report the death of Kobe Bryant, even before the Hall of Famer's family and families of victims from his helicopter crash could be adequately informed. This angered pol ice, per a press conference with Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva, who said (via CNN), "It would be extremely disrespectful to understand that your loved one … perished and you learn about it from TMZ. That is just wholly inappropriate."
TMZ faced similar criticism last year for being the first to report on Matthew Perry's death and snapping photos of the late actor's grieving parents arriving at his home just hours after they heard the news.
There have also been other instances where people expressed concern over TMZ's unsparing style of reporting deaths. Last November, The Hollywood Reporter published a piece titled "How TMZ Became Hollywood's Grim Re aper," which investigated the outlet's reputation for celebrity obituary scoops since breaking the news of Michael Jackson's death in 2009. That same month, HBO's "Last Week Tonight With John Oliver" made fun of the news outlet's reporting methods by showing a faux headline that read, "This Celebrity Died and Not Even Their Family Knows Yet."
But TMZ isn't the only outlet that's mishandled celebrity death-rela ted news. Just this week, The Source incorrectly reported that famed DJ Clark Kent died after receiving a false tip from someone said to be a family member. The publication took down its article and later apologized for its error on Instagram, stating, "As we aimed to inform, we also apologize for any discomfort to his family and loved ones and for any inaccurate information relayed from sources we reasonably relied upon."
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Similarly, a handful of publications made that mistake when reporting Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Tom Petty's death i n October 2017. Though the musician did die, reports went out prematurely while he was still being hospitalized.
History keeps track of these missteps whenever discussions around celebrity death repor ting surface. In the case of TMZ, principles often seem sacrificed for clicks, views and bragging rights to say the outlet was the first to report. Even the article about Payne's death still has an "exclusive details" tag next to its headline, as if the tragic loss is something to exploit as a scoop.
It's unfortunate that TMZ made a conscious decision to expose graphic visual details about Payne's death. Some things are best left unshared in the wake of tragedy. However, the outlet was also wrong in covering up its editorial mistake.
The main objective of journalism is to provide informed and, more importantly, responsible reporting as a public service. Going against that standard builds distrust with audiences, which TMZ has repeatedly done. How much more public outcry will it take for the outlet to change its ways?
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