tmz.com
TMZ is a very big name in the entertainment news industry. They are known for their swift coverage and accuracy. TMZ has broken news about celebrity run-ins with law enforcement, breakups, and other drama.
TMZ was founded in 2005 and quickly rose to popularity. The website won awards shortly after its launch and was named "Breakout Blog of 2007" by Newsweek in 2007.
Website Design
The TMZ scheme is red, black, and white colors with a stylized text. The logo is simply the name - TMZ - in red. The aesthetic looks very tacky, but it is what the company has always used, so at this point, it would be confusing to change it.
The website layout is clean and organized. The overall vibe of the website screams tabloids, but despite the funky style of the pages, the website functions well. There is a very small advertisement in the header, but it is barely noticeable.
The social buttons are easy to find on the top of the website. The website navigation is another good 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
TMZ is a popular website that primarily covers celebrity news and gossip. They pride themselves on being upfront with their criticisms of celebrities, as well as providing extensive detail about their investigations into scandalous behavior. In addition to celebrity news, TMZ also covers sports and offers tours.
The website, which is reportedly frequented by paparazzi-styled photographers without the knowledge of their subjects, has a large number of pictures and videos. Some of the pictures show celebrities in public places and portray them positively, but other photos appear to invade the privacy of people who are simply trying to live their lives. The videos section on the website comprises TMZ Newsroom videos. This segment often influences controversial celebrity news with inaccurate references. One issue with the website's videos is that they do not have accurate closed captioning, which can make them difficult to watch for people with hearing disabilities.
TMZ Sports covers a variety of sports-related topics. Recently, on the front page of the sports section is a video of a women's college basketball teams brawling. Other stories report players that have found themselves in hot water or relationship woes.
The website also has tours where passengers can see celebrities on the route. Adults are able to purchase tickets at $50 each, while children accompany for only $29. There is a large slideshow of encounters and interactions between celebrities and passengers on the tours.
Desktop & Mobile Accessibility
The desktop version of TMZ is perfect. The website may look cheesy, but it functions flawlessly. There aren't many issues with the website. One of the only ones I could find after digging was the incorrect closed captions on videos.
Overall, the TMZ mobile browser is a great way to browse the website.
The TMZ mobile browser is well formatted and optimized for mobile viewing. It collapses the sidebar on the website and sticks 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. Overall, the TMZ mobile browser is a great way to browse the website.
TMZ prompts viewers to download their mobile application. It has a 4.78-star score in the app store and is formatted similarly to the mobile browser but appears cleaner and more streamlined.
Positives
There are a few positive features of TMZ. They update their social media quickly, and they're able to break news quicker than most websites.
The webpage hosts few 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 many.
It can be overwhelming to browse the website because there is so much content. The news is always being updated, and readers have a choice of scrolling through photos of their favorite celebrities, watching video interviews, or reading up on the latest drama.
Negatives
That said, TMZ has a few legitimate strengths as well. They have an excellent reporting staff with years of experience, and their investigations are often spot-on. Additionally, they are very good at breaking news. Although they may not be the most entertaining website out there, they definitely provide valuable information.
A negative feature I discovered on the accident was that the closed captioning is often incorrect. Many errors were present, which unfortunately affects viewers with hearing impairments. TMZ should work to improve this feature in the future.
The worst part about TMZ is that some of the actions reporters take. Recently, the website has come under fire for releasing the news of a celebrity's death before the family had been made aware of the situation. This was a problem because they were given devastating information from an entertainment news outlet before they had a chance to prepare.
Improvements Needed
Some people think that TMZ's website design is not the best, but it could use some improvement. The website's color scheme and overall look feels like a tabloid, and it doesn't have a good balance. Some things are done well on the website, but there are also some things that need improvement.
One major problem TMZ needs to fix is that their captions are often wrong. I found this out early on when I was watching their newsroom videos, and it only got worse as I watched them more. Unfortunately, those who are deaf or have difficulty hearing would not be getting the correct information in these videos. TMZ should take a look at this issue and correct it as soon as possible. A quick review of the captioning prior to posting would be very helpful.
TMZ is one of the reasons their brand is so successful. However, their recent controversy over breaking news about a celebrity before their family was contacted by authorities is unacceptable and has put a ding in their reputation. I hope that they will do better and show more respect in these situations going forward.
Summary
The website TMZ is known for its coverage of celebrity drama, break-ups, and more. It is quick to report news, frequently provides updates, and gets information that other websites cannot find.
However, it has some flaws that need to be fixed.
Popular search queries
