Comments on: What the Michael Jackson / TMZ news timing teaches us about credibility

By: Copy Editing — Eat Sleep Publish

Copy Editing — Eat Sleep Publish — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:51:07 +0000

[...] editing is now a choice. As a reader pointed out the other day, TMZ doesn’t often bother with grammar; the reader gets the [...]

By: Jason Preston

Jason Preston — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 20:30:47 +0000

purplerubbershoes – Oh, the irony!

By: purplerubbershoes

purplerubbershoes — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 07:29:53 +0000

See. I wish I had a good editor myself. Drop the “as well” after “grammar”. The earlier “also” in that sentence already makes the point.

By: purplerubbershoes

purplerubbershoes — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 07:26:50 +0000

I chanced upon your blog while surfing the net for Michael Jackson stories. There are a lot of good insights in your article, as well as in the comments that followed. “It’s not true until I say it’s true.” That IS powerful stuff. As a sidebar comment – I only wish TMZ would hire good editors and proofreaders. I keep seeing a lot of spelling and grammar mistakes in their posts. Call me a nitpicker, but it’s painful to see. I’m all for the speedy (and hopefully accurate) reporting that “new media” brings, but I’m also all for good writing, spelling and grammar as well (things that “old media” still has)! I’m sure if you want to be considered “credible”, you need to throw in and combine those elements!

By: Jason Preston

Jason Preston — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 18:21:09 +0000

Allison – I think you have to distinguish between credibility and accuracy. In many cases, “old media” does get things wrong, but they’ve built, over a long period of time and with billions of dollars, “credibility.”

An outlet can be accurate but not credible. An outlet can be credible but not accurate. Doesn’t change the fact that credibility is worth money.

By: Allison

Allison — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 10:23:11 +0000

Sorry, but I disagree. I can cite too may examples of Old Media getting things wrong and often never even correcting them. A 2005 LATimes article about CNN’s news director Eason Jordan was so blatantly wrong they had to issue a correction, and then a correction of the correction because the correction was also wrong.

And I already knew TMZ had dead-on accurate (pardon the pun) sources.

Old Media has no claim to superior credibility.

By: /jonnnydrama

/jonnnydrama — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 01:54:14 +0000

Hey now, I must say, every “breaking” story I’ve heard from TMZ has been accurate. Wish I had examples. Take my word for it.

By: David Locke

David Locke — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:04:52 +0000

I’ve found that the very first report is usually true and unspun. Subsequent reports get spun. Once the spin begins the truth is lost, the story takes its place. Subsequently, the story is reinforced. Then, it takes history to reveal the course of the lie, and fundamental truth of the initial report.

By: bchnyc

bchnyc — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:39:43 +0000

I’m just glad that TMZ only covers celebrity news (at least for now). Imagine the impact of their tweets regarding world news or say calling a presidential election…

By: Steve

Steve — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:36:14 +0000

Could it be possible that the reason the “mainstream” press held off on the story was out of respect for the family (allowing time for authorities to contact them first)…something TMZ is purposely (and thinly disguised malice) is clearly lacking.