TMZ Expands Coverage to Washington DC Political Scene

TMZ has established a presence in Washington DC only weeks ago and is now reporting on politicians and members of Congress. The outlet has focused on lawmakers during a two-week recess that coincided with a partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security.

As the recess began, TMZ published an article urging the public to submit photos of members of Congress enjoying leisure time. The piece stated that TSA officers were selling their blood to pay bills while politicians packed for a two-week vacation and called for public monitoring to apply pressure through shame.

The reporting mischaracterized the recess, which typically involves lawmakers returning to their districts to meet constituents rather than taking a vacation. TMZ soon obtained and published images of one senator at a Florida theme park preparing to ride a roller coaster and holding what appeared to be a bubble wand.

The story was subsequently covered by other outlets including CNN and The Daily Show. TMZ continued coverage of subsequent recesses. One headline referred to an early May break as an additional recess after an earlier two-week period. A reporter approached a Republican representative from Pennsylvania and questioned him about Congress taking another break before a Department of Homeland Security funding bill had passed.

The exchange became heated after the reporter noted that Republicans controlled both chambers of Congress. The representative responded that the Senate requires 60 votes to pass the bill and told the reporter to speak with Democrats before ending the conversation.

TMZ's write-up of the video presented the exchange without noting that the Senate had already passed a funding measure and that the Republican-controlled House had not advanced legislation.

Other reporting has included entertainment-style encounters. In one instance TMZ approached the health secretary and asked about a previously reported incident involving a road-killed raccoon. The secretary did not respond to the question. TMZ founder Harvey Levin has described the DC operation as one that will sometimes be fun and sometimes intensely serious.

Reporters have adopted an approach of walking up to officials and asking direct questions, similar to the outlet's Hollywood coverage. One reporter posted an image on X appearing to show all 535 members of Congress to aid in identification.

TMZ has issued corrections on some political stories. The claim proved incorrect and TMZ published a correction on X quoting lyrics from the singer. The outlet's approach has drawn mixed reactions. While some coverage has been criticized for lacking context or misrepresenting events, observers have noted that its outsider perspective could surface stories known to mainstream journalists but not previously reported.

One publication suggested there remains room for varied newsgathering approaches in Washington. The partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security provided an initial entry point for TMZ's congressional coverage. The outlet continues to track lawmakers' activities during periods when Congress is not in session in the Capitol.