TMZ breaks news Michael Jackson is dead; does that also spell the death of traditional media showbiz coverage?

It's now confirmed that the celebrity Web site TMZ managed the scoop of a lifetime, breaking news an hour before anyone that the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, was dead.

Loads of mainstream news outlets, from the St. Petersburg Times to CNN and MSNBC were forced to note the site's reporting in their continuous coverage -- initiated when news broke that paramedics had found the pop singer in a rented home, not breathing and in cardiac arrest.

In the world of instant Twitter feeds and constant Facebook messages, the news outlet most willing to run with a big story will get the big prize -- lots of initial hits and a spread of its brand across a worldwide network of news platforms unwilling or unable to make the same call.

As CNN explained for long hours, Jackson was reportedly found in cardiac arrest in his home earlier today, and someone suffering from a stopped heart -- which is what cardiac arrest means, not a heart attack -- must be attended to within minutes or they are never revived.

Initially, most established news outlets only said Jackson suffered cardiac arrest in his home and was rushed to the hospital -- that sterling news outlet OK! magazine joined TMZ in saying Jackson was dead about 40 minutes after their initial post.

The Los Angeles Times, the traditional news outlet leading reporting on Jackson's crisis, first quoted firefighters saying the 50-year-old singer was not breathing when paramedics came to his home in California just after noon Pacific time, later reporting he was in a coma at UCLA's hospital.

About an hour after TMZ's initial report, they confirmed his death. CNN didn't confirm his death until two hours later.

And as the microblogging service Twitter exploded with updates from radio personality Ryan Seacrest (he confirmed death before LAT or CNN) the Los Angeles Times and countless fans, Twitter accounts for CNN Breaking News, CNN.com and CNN Top Stories went an hour without updating, with some still reporting Jackson was in a coma.

 It's also possible TMZ and OK! were just playing the odds, assuming that Jackson was likely dead because his condition was so serious.

But the scoop provides also another strong argument for the usefulness of reliable outlets which normally traffic in tales of public intoxication by celebrities.

It also raises yet another challenge for traditional news outlets, still scrambling to keep pace with a younger pop culture press moving quicker to break and advance the hottest showbusiness news .

Comments

[jakob brismo]

leave him alone
im gonna remember him as a god man
i love his music
may you live in peace

[jakobbrismo]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4Hcd60VoRM&feature=fvw

[jakobbrismo]

michael you was the greatest
why you? you was the best singer i now better then Elvis Presley

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jpz5eD9L4dA

[jakobbrismo]

michael you was the greatest
why you? you was the best singer i now better then Elvis Presley

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jpz5eD9L4dA

[M&m]

I don't feel sorry for him no offense!

[Jessicwa]

he is so ugly

[another mom]

TMZ no doubt has people in the UCLA med center on it's sleazy payroll. Probably some intern or nurse with a cell phone taking pictures and selling them for big $$$ to TMZ. The medical facility already fired several employees when Brit Spears was hospitalized for illegally accessing her records. This hospital needs to be investigated for violating HIPA.

[Bob H]

Mark at 9:50 PM, you're exactly right with your comments. TMZ has little credibility to begin with, so no loss if they're wrong about something like this.

Other, more established and credible news organizations take the time to get verification and try not to just report rumors without substantiation.

I would rather have accuracy with a little delay than rapidly-reported possibly false rumors.

[Mani]

So terribly sorry about Michael!!!!!!!!!!! He was the greatest singer ever! A genius!

[ace]

That's ashame. He had some good music. More and more people are dying young.

May Michael Jackson rest in peace despite some of the negative things said about him.

[tmzshame]

TMZ and UCLA Medical center have some explaining to do. TMZ's report was posted at 2:20pm. The coroner announced his death was at 2:26pm. 6 minutes AFTER TMZ's report. The only way this is possible is that there was some impropriety going on between the hospital and TMZ.

[chi flat irons]

Even in death people still have bad things to say. Cant we accept and move on he lived his life not pleasing to most of us, but it was his life and his journey now it's over let him go and rest in peace.

[Mark]

My feeling is that TMZ is bigger into the celebrity world than 'regular' media. I heard one reporter say they were already stretched thin covering Farrah, while TMZ's entire beat is Hollywood.

In addition, in LA, I'm betting that if it was a Jackson hanger-on, disgruntled employee or even an unscrupulous paramedic or hospital staffer who wanted to drop a dime to the media on this, they don't think "I'm going to call CNN." They think "I'm calling TMZ."

In addition, I think there's still the credibility thing. If TMZ says he's dead and two hours later, the hospital says he's alive, what credibility have they lost? People would shrug and say "So what, it's TMZ."

If CNN or another news operation says he's dead and it turns out he's alive, it would end up as a "Dewey beats Truman" or Frank Reynolds' "Let's get it nailed down" James Brady-Ronald Reagan moment.

[bnrob]

It's a sad day to have lost Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson on the same day.