Ask anyone and they can confirm, 2020 has been one crazy year, but even though the year is over, will the madness carryover?

TMZ is a tabloid journalism platform that publicizes the most up to do new stories from sports and celebrities to politics and news. Often times, stories put out by the tabloids beat mainstream media to the public. One particular area TMZ has covered is the heat regarding the black community. TMZ’s content reports truth when creating content for their viewers. However, TMZ has been known to cause some controversy when it comes to “facts” especially relating to celebrities making it non trustworthy for some viewers. Identification is the process people assume the identity, roles, and perspective of an individual. Audience are often able to connect more with celebrities who share the same views creating a sense of connection and unison. The more famous a celebrity, the more influence they hold. Identification is expressed in audiences through the mainstream media stars representation similar to a mascot. For example, MLK, Malcom X, Colin Kapernick, and Jesse Williams act as famous representation for the black community.

Specifically speaking, the black community has faced the most difficult of times in terms of race than any other ethnicity this past year. Each post displays a difficulty the black community has faced. Breonna Taylor’s death in March of 2020 due to the hands of the Louisville police constructed an uproar of injustice in the black community. Not long after, the death of George Floyd in May of 2020 generated the memorable “I can’t breathe” quote Floyd pleaded as officer Derek Cauvin knelt on his neck for 9 minutes leading to Floyd’s death. Although it is not the first of killing of a black person by police, the incident of George Floyd provoked an outcry of protestors in the support of the black community.

The posts analyzed collectively focus on the injustices placed on the black community but strive for all viewers to access the differences. In an interview with Lil Yatchy (famous hip hop artist) he is asked “What do you think is the impact of MLB, Hollywood productions, and other big business pulling out of Georgia in protest of laws making it difficult for people of color to vote?” Often times it is more influential to take advice from someone who is in the same group as you, faces the same circumstances, and hold a position of power. This post was more laid back and catered to a younger generation. Jordan Blake (an unarmed black victim shot by police) expresses his gratitude for the verdict on Derek Cauvin even calling it “the first big step in changing the world” providing hope for the black community. Jordan Blake’s clip is specifically picked out because he himself is a victim of police injustice. The title “Lets get the rest of them” supports the overall message of the post, a step in the right direction. Not only was there a clip of Jordan Blake’s reaction to the verdict, but verdict itself and the clip of evidence from his own incident was displayed warning viewers in bright colors of the “shocking” and “brutal” graphics shown”. The attack on the capital is another issue not directly spotlighted on the black community, but raises eyebrows when compared to protests in support of BLM. When asked Lebron James (professional NBA player) says “If those were my kind storming the Capitol, what would have been the outcome? And, I think we all know.” Below the clips is a screenshot of James’ instagram post in a shirt saying “DO YOU UNDERSTAND NOW?” referring to the injustices the black community still faces.