TMZ’s Harvey Levin Says Politics Is Pop Culture

**Kara Swisher** (0:00)
You don't know this maybe about me, but I used to do parties for The Washington Post. They used to cover parties.

**Harvey Levin** (0:04)
I did know that.

**Kara Swisher** (0:05)
That was my coming up job, was like, can I get Ted Kennedy to throw a drink in my face, kind of stuff, or something like that. He spilled the drink on me once.
Hi everyone, from New York Magazine and the Vox Media Podcast Network, this is On with Kara Swisher, and I'm Kara Swisher. My guest today is TMZ founder and executive director, Harvey Levin. A lawyer and TV legal analyst, Harvey started a celebrity news site, TMZ, in 2005, which is where I met him. He's since expanded into a multi-platform business that includes television, streaming, podcasts, social media channels, documentaries, and celebrity bus tours.
TMZ set itself apart from traditional tabloids by what it didn't cover, no red carpets, weddings, and junkets. Instead, it leaned on aggressive investigative reporting and ethically dubious methods to some, including possibly paying sources, so that's something Harvey argues about, to land some of the biggest celebrity scoops of the past two decades. This spring, TMZ expanded its political news coverage and opened up a bureau in Washington DC. According to a post on TMZ, the reporters planned to quote, explore the intersection between pop culture and politics. I have interviewed Harvey many times, way back when I was at the Wall Street Journal, and I really noticed what he was doing with that website, which I thought was highly innovative.
Later at my Code Conference, I've always thought he was a really interesting media entrepreneur. I love media entrepreneurs. I do think he gets a little bit of a hit just because he talks about celebrities. He's broken a lot of stories. He did amazing work in covering Spencer Pratt and was the one to write out some of the hypocritical stuff that Pratt was doing. They've done a pretty good job in DC. I actually am enjoying what they're doing and seeing what they're doing. They've got a lot of energy around them that I appreciate. They actually do quite a lot of reporting. Our expert question comes from Ashley Parker, a staff writer of The Atlantic who herself is an amazing reporter. So stick around.

**SPEAKER_4** (2:17)
When I scraped my car in that parking garage, I was worried that it could be a long process to take care of it, like a landscaper's first day trimming a hedge maize.

**Ashley Parker** (2:26)
I have definitely already been here.

**SPEAKER_6** (2:29)
Now, was it left, right, or right, left?

**Ashley Parker** (2:33)
Well, maybe I'll cut a path out and find my way back later.

**SPEAKER_4** (2:37)
But it wasn't like that. I filed a claim in under two minutes on the Geico app, and they handled it from there. It was taken care of almost as quickly as it happened.

**SPEAKER_7** (2:44)
It feels good to get help quick.

**SPEAKER_6** (2:46)
It feels good to Geico.
Support for this show comes from Odoo.
Running a business is hard enough, so why make it harder with a dozen different apps that don't talk to each other? Introducing Odoo. It's the only business software you'll ever need. It's an all-in-one fully integrated platform that makes your work easier. CRM, accounting, inventory, e-commerce and more. The best part, Odoo replaces multiple expensive platforms for a fraction of the cost. That's why over thousands of businesses have made the switch. So why not you? Try Odoo for free at odoo.com. That's odoo.com.

**Ashley Parker** (3:29)
So good, so good, so good.

**SPEAKER_3** (3:31)
New summer arrivals are at Nordstrom Rack Stores now.
Get ready to save big with up to 60% off brands like Rag & Bone, Levi's, Adidas and Free People. Join the Nordy Club to unlock exclusive discounts, shop new arrivals first and more. Plus buy online and pick up at your favorite rack store for free.
Great brands, great prices. That's why you rack.

**Kara Swisher** (3:58)
Harvey, welcome to On.

**Harvey Levin** (4:00)
I am so pleased to be able to talk to you. We go back to the beginning of TMZ.

**Kara Swisher** (4:06)
We do. Let's talk about what you're doing now. TMZ has never drawn a line between politicians and celebrities as TMZ's head of legal affairs said, quote, we've always viewed politicians to just be another branch of the celebrity tree, end quote. And you had ambitions early on to establish presence in DC, and you finally did in April.
What took so long? Because you had talked about it even back then.

**Harvey Levin** (4:29)
Warner Brothers killed it twice. We were owned by Warner Brothers, by TelePictures. And in 2000, I think it was 2008, I said I wanted to do TMZ DC.