tmz.com
TMZ is a very big name in the entertainment news industry. Some of their coverage has always been swift, accurate, and entertaining. TMZ has broken news about celebrity run-ins with law enforcement, breakups, and other drama.
TMZ, which was founded in 2005, quickly became popular for its quick headlines. In 2007, Newsweek named TMZ ?Breakout Blog of 2007.?
Website Design
The TMZ scheme is red, black, and white colors with a cheesy looking text logo. The aesthetic looks very tacky, but it's what the company has always used so at this point, it would be confusing to change it.
The layout is clean and uncluttered. The overall vibe of the website is fun and flashy-looking. However, despite its funky style, the website functions well. There is a very small advertisement in the header, but it's barely noticeable.
The social buttons are easy to find on the website. The website navigation is a great feature. Not only is the website organized, but the homepage is a great example of how entertainment websites should set up their breaking news. Beneath the header is a strategically placed lineup of popular news stories.
Content
The website, TMZ, generally covers celebrity news and gossip. The website does not hold back on criticisms of celebrities nor do they spare any details. Additionally, TMZ covers sports and offers tours.
The website has a lot of photos and videos. Some of the photos are taken by paparazzi without celebrities knowing, and sometimes they get nice candid shots of them in public. But in other moments it seams like they invade people's privacy by taking pictures without their permission. The videos on the website include interviews from TMZ, which is a part of the videos section. This segment can be controversial because it fuels celebrity news with references for the basis of their claims. One downside to the website is that the closed captioning on the videos is incorrect.
TMZ Sports covers a variety of sports-related topics. Recently, on the front page of their sports section, they published a video of a women's college basketball teams brawling. There are other stories about players that have found themselves in hot water or relationship woes.
The website also hosts celebrity tours. If you click the tours button on the main menu, you'll be directed to another website. The homepage has a large bus with TMZ's logo on it and passengers smiling and waving with cameras in hand. The tours are throughout Hollywood, and passengers can expect to see celebrities on their two-hour route. Tickets are available for a whopping $50 apiece for adults, or $29 apiece if children accompany them. There's a large slideshow of celebrity encounters and interactions on the homepage.
Desktop & Mobile Accessibility
The desktop version of TMZ is great. The website might look cheap, but it works well. There aren't many problems with the website. One issue I found after digging was incorrect closed captions on videos.
The TMZ mobile browser is also well-formatted. The browser is optimized for mobile viewing, collapsing the sidebar on the website and sticking to only one column. The main menu is made slightly smaller, but the collapsing menu more than makes up for it. The font size is large and easily readable. There is one small advertisement that floats near the bottom of the webpage, but it is not very noticeable.
TMZ prompts viewers to download its application. The app has very high ratings in the app store with a 4.78-star score. The app is formatted similarly to the mobile browser but appears cleaner and more streamlined.
Positives
There are a few good things about TMZ. They update their social media well and can break news faster than most websites.
The webpage does not host many advertisements, which is always a plus in my book. There is a small header advertisement that is usually tailored to viewer interests. There are also a few ads in the sidebar. Overall, there are not very many.
On the website, there is a lot of content to choose from. Readers can scroll through photos of their favorite celebrities, watch video interviews, and read up on the latest drama.
Negatives
Although TMZ is a well-known source of entertainment news, there are some drawbacks to it. Firstly, their website design and color scheme looks like it comes from a tabloid. The design feels unreliable, and some headlines are crass.
A negative feature I discovered on the accident was that the closed captioning was often incorrect. Often there were errors in the transcribed audio, making it difficult for viewers with hearing impairments. TMZ should work to improve this feature in the future.
The worst part about TMZ is some of the reporters' actions. Recently, the website has come under fire for releasing the news of a celebrity's death. Normally, this isn't a problem. However, in this situation, the website released this news before the family was made aware of the situation. Due to this, they were given devastating information from an entertainment news outlet.
Improvements Needed
Despite some good points, TMZ's website could use a few improvements. Their color scheme and overall design feels sketchy and reminiscent of tabloids. There is a balance though with this particular entertainment news website, as there are some things they get really right and a couple of things that they get wrong.
One big improvement TMZ should make is correcting the captions on their videos. At first, I didn't realize the mistake, but the further I watched the TMZ Newsroom videos the more I realized it. Fortunately, I was listening to the audio and could understand the interview. However, hearing-impaired individuals would not be getting accurate information in these videos if captions are not corrected. TMZ should remedy this mistake quickly. A quick review before posting would be really helpful.
TMZ has always been known for breaking news of large-scale celebrity dramas, breakups, and deaths. This has made them one of the most successful brands in the industry. However, their recent controversy over breaking news before their celebrity's family was contacted by authorities is not acceptable. This behavior has put a dent in their reputation and I hope they will do better in the future and show more respect for other people's privacy.
Summary
Many entertainment websites focus on Hollywood gossip and breaking news. TMZ is one of the most popular websites for this type of information, as they are often the first to report news. They are also very quick to update their website, providing frequent updates.
However, there are also some negatives about TMZ. Some of the negative aspects include their tendency to sensationalize stories, their lack of journalistic integrity, and their biased reporting.
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