How TMZ is finding its footing on the political scene, even after some misfires

"TMZ has only been in Washington DC for a matter of weeks, but the salacious gossip website is already having an impact: hounding politicians, tracking vacationing members of Congress and reporting on a senator taking a trip to Disney World. It's been quite the start as the website and TV channel attempts to break into the political scene, with its first focus on members of Congress taking a two-week recess typically meaning the politicians return to their home districts and states to meet constituents during a record partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)."

"As that recess approached, TMZ put out a typically tabloid-y appeal. As TSA officers are selling their blood to keep a roof over their heads, members of Congress are packing their bags for a 2-week vacation, and WE WANT THE PICS! an article read. Since compromise isn't working, maybe some shame will, and that's why we're asking everyone to be on the lookout over the next 2 weeks for the folks who work' on Capitol Hill, enjoying their leisure time."

"The outlet soon had photos of Lindsey Graham, the senator from South Carolina, spending time at Disney World in Florida: preparing to ride Space Mountain and holding what seemed to be a bubble wand. It was the kind of scoop any DC news organization would be proud of, and it was followed up by CNN, the Hill, The Daily Show and more. Clearly pleased with the result, the website kept the journalistic focus on the recess, which would have served as a more noble endeavor had TMZ not misrepresented it as a two-week vacay."

"Still, it was offering a fresh perspective: highlighting a practice in this case, how little time members of Congress actually spend doing work in the Capitol which may be obvious to Washington insiders, but which has the potential to raise the ire of regular folk. While the amount of recess breaks members of Congress get is standard infor"

TMZ entered Washington DC politics within weeks and began targeting politicians by tracking lawmakers during a two-week recess. The recess coincided with a record partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security. TMZ promoted the period with a tabloid appeal asking for pictures of Capitol Hill staff and members of Congress, framing the time as leisure while TSA officers faced hardship. TMZ later published photos of Senator Lindsey Graham at Disney World, including images suggesting amusement-park activities. The photos were widely picked up by major outlets, extending the story beyond TMZ. The coverage emphasized how limited time lawmakers spend working in the Capitol, raising public frustration despite the recess amount being standard.

Read at www.theguardian.com