MICHAEL JACKSON: 1958-2009 TMZ, tweets and the death of Michael Jackson (P.S. Jeff Goldblum is not dead) THE ASSOCIATED PRESS11:06 PM EDT, June 25, 2009
It was a where-were-you moment in a digital age. Michael Jackson's death<http://www.newsday.com/topic/entertainment/michael-jackson-PECLB002548.topic>was not learned from a fatherly TV news anchor. Instead, the news first spread online. Some of the initial reports from various outlets were confusing: Was Jackson still alive? Was he in a coma? They spread like wildfire across news sites, social media networks and Twitter<http://www.newsday.com/topic/arts-culture/internet/twitter-inc.-ORCRP00010280.topic> . The celebrity Web site TMZ.com. site broke the news of Jackson's death at 5:20 p.m. Thursday. It was a huge scoop for the AOL-owned TMZ,<http://www.newsday.com/topic/entertainment/television/tmz-%28tv-program%29-ENTTV00000058.topic>though many did not believe TMZ's report until it was matched by more established news organizations. Related links - [image: prom]<http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/news/celebrity/ny-michaeljackson-flip,0,6054056.photogallery>Michael Jackson, year-by-year<http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/news/celebrity/ny-michaeljackson-flip,0,6054056.photogallery> *PHOTOS*<http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/news/celebrity/ny-michaeljackson-flip,0,6054056.photogallery> [image: prom]<http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/news/celebrity/ny-michaeljacksondies-pg,0,5851708.photogallery>Michael Jackson's death: Fans react<http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/news/celebrity/ny-michaeljacksondies-pg,0,5851708.photogallery> *PHOTOS*<http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/news/celebrity/ny-michaeljacksondies-pg,0,5851708.photogallery> - [image: prom]<http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/news/celebrity/ny-jackson,0,5997649.triviaquiz>Michael Jackson Quiz<http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/news/celebrity/ny-jackson,0,5997649.triviaquiz> - [image: prom]<http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/news/celebrity/ny-jackson-guestbook-link,0,186866.storylink>Sign Michael Jackson's Guest Book<http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/news/celebrity/ny-jackson-guestbook-link,0,186866.storylink> - Vote: What's your favorite Michael Jackson song? What's your favorite Michael Jackson song? "Thriller" "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" "Beat It" "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" "Billie Jean" "The Way You Make Me Feel" "Smooth Criminal" "Bad" "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" "Black or White" "Man in the Mirror" "Rock With You" "Remember the Time" Other - View current results<http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/news/celebrity/ny-etmichaeljackson0626-poll,0,6020494,post.poll> - [image: prom]<http://weblogs.newsday.com/entertainment/celebrities_blog/2009/06/report_michael_jackson_suffers.html>Michael Jackson performances<http://weblogs.newsday.com/entertainment/celebrities_blog/2009/06/report_michael_jackson_suffers.html> *VIDEOS*<http://weblogs.newsday.com/entertainment/celebrities_blog/2009/06/report_michael_jackson_suffers.html> <http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/news/celebrity/la-me-michael-jackson-discography,0,3917645.photogallery>Michael Jackson discography<http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/news/celebrity/la-me-michael-jackson-discography,0,3917645.photogallery> *PHOTOS*<http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/news/celebrity/la-me-michael-jackson-discography,0,3917645.photogallery> - [image: prom] <http://www.newsday.com/michaeljackson>Michael Jackson, 1958-2009 <http://www.newsday.com/michaeljackson> *FULL COVERAGE * <http://www.newsday.com/michaeljackson> - [image: prom]<http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/news/celebrity/ny-jackson-auction-pg,0,3859139.photogallery>Michael Jackson's memorabilia<http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/news/celebrity/ny-jackson-auction-pg,0,3859139.photogallery> *PHOTOS*<http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/news/celebrity/ny-jackson-auction-pg,0,3859139.photogallery> - [image: prom]<http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/news/celebrity/ny-ent-celebrityshockers,0,487010.photogallery>Shocking celebrity deaths<http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/news/celebrity/ny-ent-celebrityshockers,0,487010.photogallery> - Michael Jackson dies<http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/news/celebrity/ny-michaeljackson0626,0,57920.story> - The highs and lows of Michael Jackson's career<http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/news/celebrity/ny-ethigh261291973jun25,0,6447995.story> - Elizabeth Taylor recalls friendship with Jackson<http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/news/celebrity/ny-etliz2612920124jun25,0,3975987.story> - NYC mourns Michael Jackson in Times Square, Harlem<http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/news/celebrity/ny-michaeljacksonnyc0626,0,4943261.story> - Local fans react to news of Michael Jackson's death<http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/news/celebrity/ny-etscen2612920113jun25,0,146146.story> "Everything starts with a tip," said Harvey Levin, managing editor of TMZ. "We wouldn't have put it up if we weren't positive." Jackson's death was confirmed by the Los Angeles Times and then The Associated Press just minutes before the nightly network news began. The anchors relayed the news at the top of their broadcasts, though CBS<http://www.newsday.com/topic/economy-business-finance/cbs-corp.-ORCRP002841.topic>and ABC quickly moved on to their prepared obituaries for Farrah Fawcett<http://www.newsday.com/topic/entertainment/farrah-fawcett-PECLB001648.topic>, who died earlier Thursday. MTV, the channel that had so much to do with Jackson's incredible rise to fame, played Jackson's iconic music videos "Beat It" and "Thriller," and continued with a Jackson marathon. Jackson dominated the discussion on Twitter, generating the most tweets per second since Barack Obama<http://www.newsday.com/topic/politics/government/barack-obama-PEPLT007408.topic>was elected president in November. "We saw over twice the normal tweets per second the moment the story broke as people shared their grief and memories," Twitter co-founder Biz Stone said in an e-mail. The tweeting tripped up Twitter briefly, but engineers quickly responded to keep the service running. At times Thursday night, Jackson-related search topics were the most popular on the site. Celebrity users on Twitter -- including Lindsay Lohan<http://www.newsday.com/topic/entertainment/movies/lindsay-lohan-PECLB004194.topic>, Ashton Kutcher<http://www.newsday.com/topic/entertainment/ashton-kutcher-PECLB002882.topic>, John Mayer<http://www.newsday.com/topic/entertainment/john-mayer-PECLB005340.topic>, Ryan Seacrest<http://www.newsday.com/topic/entertainment/television/ryan-seacrest-PECLB001019.topic>and ?uestlove of the Roots -- posted their remembrances. "I will be mourning my friend, brother, mentor and inspiration," tweeted MC Hammer<http://www.newsday.com/topic/entertainment/mc-hammer-PECLB002197.topic>. "He gave me and my family hope. I would never have been me without him." Comedian Rob Corddry, the former "Daily Show"<http://www.newsday.com/topic/entertainment/television/the-daily-show-%28tv-program%29-ENTTV000000244.topic>correspondent, joked: "I wish it had been Michael Jackson that broke the story of TMZ dying." *>> Read more celebrity tweets on Michael Jackson<http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/news/celebrity/ny-etjackson-twitter,0,1304459.story> * Others sought to corrupt the memorializing of Jackson. A false rumor was spread that actor Jeff Goldblum<http://www.newsday.com/topic/entertainment/jeff-goldblum-PECLB001979.topic>had died. His publicist had to release a statement saying that Goldblum was fine. So many people wanted to verify the early reports of Jackson's death that the computers running Google<http://www.newsday.com/topic/economy-business-finance/computing-information-technology/google-inc.-ORCRP006761.topic>'s news section interpreted the fusillade of "Michael Jackson" requests as an automated attack from about 5:40 p.m. through 6:15 p.m. As a defense mechanism, Google's news section responded to requests for information about Michael Jackson with squiggly letters known as a "captcha." Just as online ticket buyers regularly do to complete their purchases, the Michael Jackson searchers had to enter the letters correctly to see Google's new results. Searches made through Google's main search engine were unaffected, according to company spokesman Gabriel Stricker. On YouTube<http://www.newsday.com/topic/entertainment/movies/youtube-ORCRP00000211004.topic>, traffic flowed to music videos of Jackson, while thousands posted videos of themselves sharing their thoughts on Jackson. On the Google Inc.-owned YouTube, traffic flowed to music videos of Jackson, while thousands posted videos of themselves sharing their thoughts on Jackson. Others were using Facebook<http://www.newsday.com/topic/arts-culture/internet/facebook-ORCRP006023.topic>to organize vigils and celebrations of Jackson. One in San Francisco with nearly 50 confirmed guests hoped to recreated the "Thriller" dance. Within a few hours of the news of Jackson's death, his 1982 album "Thriller" was the No. 1 album on iTunes. Several of his discs were also in the top 10 of the digital store. -- "Focus on where you want to go, not on what you fear" - Anthony Robbins Vanakkam Subbu
