Michael Jackson coverage - TMZ says he's dead, nobody else does

Is the 1:07 time correct? I'd heard like 2:25 PT earlier tonight ...

 

I think obviously TMZ has someone in the hospital who fed them the info. I have to give them credit for having it, however. And they had it for a long time before anyone else did. It was fascinating to watch the whole thing unfold.

Also, this is one of those instances where the news is big enough that people will save the newspaper. I know I will.

 

SF basically said everything I was going to say here. TMZ is rock solid on breaking celeb news.

 

I wonder if TMZ has a paid contact in every major LA & Manhattan hospital.

 

If they do, they got their money's worth today.

 

Without a doubt. And UCLA hospital has had problems with celebrity info leaks in the past. I believe that's the hospital that had to discipline a bunch of people after a Britney Spears meltdown.

 

tmz reported the story at 5:20 eastern. did they ever say what time he passed for certain?

 

There's a reason why newspapers are folding and sites like TMZ bring in millions and millions.

 

LAT writes about it:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-jackson-media26-2009jun26,0,1993773.story

 

If I'm TMZ, I keep any number of staff at places like UCLA Medical on retainer with the promise of a whopping bonus for things like a Jackson death

 

Someone here mentioned that TMZ was reporting it, but I shot back that once CNN or the LA Times gets it, I'll take it seriously. I try to avoid celebrity news (Damn kids, get off my lawn!), but if this was par for the course with TMZ, much respect to them.

 

so TMZ is owned by Time Warner and CNN is owned by Time Warner, yet TMZ reported this nearly two hours before CNN

crazy stuff