Kat George | December 30, 2014 2:30 pm

Without a doubt, 2014 was TMZ‘s year. The former celebrity rag has been effective hard to become a reputable source of news, and has stepped up its game to provide some of the year’s most thoroughly reported celebrity tales. When TMZ first launched in beta in 2005, it was an implementation in gossipmongering, designed to rival sites like Perez Hilton and Just Jared. TMZ’s first “huge” report was obtaining and disseminating video of Paris Hilton‘s drunken car accident in 2005. In those early days, TMZ was predominantly a source for scandal, rather than analytical television journalism or “hard” news. If a celebrity so much as sneezed, you could bet TMZ would be there to turn it into a circus, regardless of the relevance or even the voracity of the claims.

Since then, TMZ has increasingly built its own portfolio of analytical television journalism. In 2014, the site was responsible for breaking some of the largest tales, and acquiring some of the most damning evidence, of the year, from the Ray Rice elevator incident to Stephen Collins’ confession of child molestation. Today, TMZ is no longer just for celebrity gossip; it’s often the first stop for breaking celebrity news.

Along with the original site, TMZ now has three television programs (TMZ Live, TMZ on TV, and Dax Chat) and break online verticals dedicated to sports and television, giving them a sizable hold on the celebrity news sequence. “TMZ has become a source for breaking news simply because of their access,” says entertainment expert Kathy Iandoli. “They dig deeper into incidents with lightning speed and will interview anyone from janitors or clubgoers to gain information.” The financial resources at TMZ’s disposal are as astounding as their online presence. Considering they allegedly paid $ 250,000 for the Jay-Z-Solange elevator tape, it can’t be denied that TMZ is a behemoth when it comes to their analytical purview.

“I have relied on TMZ just based upon the nature of their factual information over the last few years, especially in 2014,” Iandoli says. “But before this year, they were the very first to report Michael Jackson‘s passing among other momentous events and with accuracy, which is surprising given their beginnings.” Despite founder Harvey Levin‘s questionable image in the public eye, TMZ is still enveloping, and effective towards being well respected. “They may be invasive but they’re thorough,” Iandoli adds. “And when it comes to breaking celebrity news, that’s exactly what is looked-for.”

It’s hard to picture the celebrity news landscape in 2014 without TMZ, which has been responsible for apprehending criminals and exposing hidden elements of pop culture. Take a look at TMZ’s largest tales of 2014, and the effects these tales had on the world.

Ray and Janay Rice Domestic Violence Incident

Published 9/8/2014 at 1am

Earlier this year, the world had seen footage of Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice dragging his unconscious then-fiance Janay out of an elevator. Based on this, and the allegation that Ray’s violence was responsible for Janay’s state, the NFL suspended Ray for two games. Once TMZ released graphic video of Ray punching Janay inside the elevator nearly six months later, he was dropped by the Ravens and banned from the NFL.

Rice was reinstated by the league on Nov. 28, but it’s yet to be seen if any team is willing to sign, and thus align themselves with, the athlete.

NeNe Leakes discusses the impact of the Ray Rice case on Huge Morning Buzz Live.

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Tags: Donald Sterling, Janay Rice, NFL, Ray Rice, TMZ, Wyclef Jean, Jay-Z, Solange Knowles, Justin Bieber, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, R. Kelly, Stephen Collins