TMZ was completely wrong with these photos of Liam Payne

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TMZ is making headlines again for another misjudgment.

Like many media outlets, the tabloid announced the unexpected on Wednesday Death of One Direction singer Liam Paynewho died at the age of 31 after falling from the third-floor balcony of a Buenos Aires hotel. However, it wasn’t enough for TMZ to simply post the news on their website. The company went a step further and released a cropped photo of Payne’s lifeless body with no trigger warning for readers.

According to 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 don’t show the whole body, but man can clearly see his tattoos – a clock on his left forearm and a scorpion on his stomach.”

The Backlash online came immediately, with many criticizing TMZ for its demoralizing approach to delivering sensitive news.

Even celebrities like Alessia Cara criticized the tabloid for its unethical decision.

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 delete any mention of the photo’s publication. Both were bad decisions. This called into question journalistic integrity (or lack thereof), as TMZ had operated without it in previous years.

In 2020, the gossip site was the first to immediately report Kobe Bryant’s death, even before the Hall of Famer’s family and the families of the victims of his helicopter crash could be properly informed. This angered police, according to 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…died and you find out about it from TMZ. That’s just completely inappropriate.”

TMZ confronted similar criticism last year for being the one was the first to report Matthew Perry’s death and took photos of the late actor’s grieving parents, who arrived at his home just hours after hearing the news.

There have also been other instances where people have expressed concern about TMZ’s blunt style in reporting deaths. Last November, The Hollywood Reporter published an article titled “How TMZ Became the Grim Reaper of Hollywood,” which examined the network’s reputation for celebrity obituaries since news of Michael Jackson’s death broke in 2009. That same month, HBO released “Last week tonight with John Oliver” mocked the news channel’s reporting methods by showing a false headline that read, “This celebrity has died and not even her family knows.”

But TMZ isn’t the only outlet to mishandle news of celebrity deaths. Just this week, The Source incorrectly reported that famous DJ Clark Kent died after receiving a false tip from someone claiming to be a family member. The publication removed its article and later apologized for the error on InstagramIt said: “As we wished to convey, we also apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused to his family and loved ones, as well as any inaccurate information from sources on which we could reasonably rely.”

Similarly, a few publications made this mistake when reporting on the death of Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Tom Petty in October 2017. Although the musician actually died, reports were published prematurely while he was still in the hospital.

History records these missteps whenever discussions about reporting celebrity deaths surface. In TMZ’s case, principles often seem to be sacrificed for clicks, views, and the bragging rights of claiming the outlet was the first to report it. Even the article about Payne’s death still has “exclusive details” next to the headline, as if the tragic loss was something that could be used as a scoop.

It is unfortunate that TMZ made a conscious decision to reveal graphic visual details surrounding Payne’s death. Some things are best not shared after a tragedy. However, the medium was also wrong to cover up its editorial error.

The main goal of journalism is to provide informed and, above all, responsible reporting as a public service. Violating this standard breeds audience distrust, which TMZ has done repeatedly. How much further public outcry will it take for the outlet to change its behavior?

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