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Jun. 11, 2009
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MEDIAOLOGY: Except for Jacobs, TV stations play Gans news straight

STEVE BORNFELD
MEDIAOLOGY

Efficient, yet elusive.

Such was the level of coverage and nature of the story as the cause of Danny Gans' death was disclosed Tuesday, leaving local media to present question-riddled reports of a "drug toxicity" reaction from the painkiller Dilaudid, the coroner refraining from terming it "drug abuse."

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    • And -- except for an Alicia Jacobs commentary with an Alice-through-the-looking-glass effect of seeming completely right while being thoroughly wrong -- coverage was responsible, even abbreviated for a story that stirred nationwide gossip. Stations stuck to verifiable facts -- including the drug being an opiate -- not succumbing to the worst media instincts of speculative overkill.

    Channels 5, 8 and 13 filed straight, solid reports throughout newscasts -- from Stefanie Jay, Aaron Drawhorn and Steve Ryan, respectively -- with comments from medical/pharmaceutical sources, pointed mentions of unanswered questions and details about Dilaudid.

    Channel 3 -- its coverage curtailed by NHL Finals -- was largely in lockstep, assigning Hetty Chang, Steve Crupi and Sue Manteris to the story.

    Then there was A.J.

    Her statement on the 4 p.m. news, in part: "I'm sure there will be much focus on the drugs in Danny's system, but it's important to remember that since his baseball days, Danny dealt with endless injuries. ... On a personal note, I hope we can go back to remembering the great man and the amazing entertainer and the wonderful friend that was Danny Gans."

    That's the response of a personal confidant who should have been a detached observer, the modest leeway of familiarity she's granted as an entertainment reporter abused long ago.

    In case news reporters, unsatisfied with ending the story with this toxicology finding, investigate further, Jacobs nudges us toward Gans' injuries as justification for his use of Dilaudid. While that's a legit element of the story as stated by neutral reporters, from Jacobs it's clearly a request for compassion from a protective pal.

    Then she plants a big wet smooch on his memory that out-Mary Harts Mary Hart. Her 11 p.m. "Stage 3" was essentially an encore, though she did reference the mystery of who prescribed the painkiller for Gans, and why.

    Was Jacobs' wistful postscript for a news story already nailed by Chang, Crupi and Manteris really necessary? In an unfortunate way, yes.

    Jacobs' boundary-breaching closeness to Gans oddly inoculates her -- she's so known as his buddy that withholding a heartfelt tribute would flummox fans conditioned to consider the relationship acceptable, seeming like a friend's betrayal when it's actually a professional requirement.

    Some viewers are less concerned with guidelines that make journalism effective and useful to them than with sharing a community group hug with Alicia Jacobs.

    Yes, she's on the showbiz beat where sympathy might seem harmless. But when soft features turn into hard news, credibility counts in every corner of this craft.

    Contact reporter Steve Bornfeld at sbornfeld@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0256.

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    Cathy wrote on June 20, 2009 03:13 PM: that's funny Blake, I was actualy impressed with how many people really really like Alicia Jacobs. So much that they take the time to bother writing on this stupid website.
    I don't really have an opinion of Jacobs, but she seems quite good at her job, definitely beautiful, & very well-known.
    Can't say much about the fools with to much time on their hands, writing on this site??


    Blake wrote on June 19, 2009 08:53 PM:
    Wow, there are a lot of people who don't like Alicia Jacobs in this city!!!!!


    anonymous wrote on June 19, 2009 02:22 AM: Why would you insult Jacobs for being an animal advocate? It's just another aspect of what she does in this town & for this town.
    Maybe you should pay better attention to what is written here, as well as various other places. Looks to me like someone is jealous of Alicia's success on TV, & her humanitarian deeds. Good luck finding others to agree with you.


    VegasSucks wrote on June 18, 2009 05:31 PM: Kindness to puppies and reporting a serious news story are not evenly remotely related. Alicia Jacobs should work for the ASPCA, not a "major" news station in Las Vegas.


    Chris Jacobi wrote on June 17, 2009 07:21 AM: I just hope kvbc management is reading this.


    Sean Kennelly wrote on June 17, 2009 02:48 AM: To answer your question, "Stalker Lady"...or "Drai"..or whomever you're pretending to be. I'm on-line, at 1:00am, because I have a real job, & I work graveyard, genius.
    I have great respect & admiration for Alicia, you seem to have a problem with that fact, you also seem like an angry bitter woman. The irony is, Alicia is such a nice person, she probably knows you, & treats you well, & this is how you repay her.


    C. F. wrote on June 17, 2009 12:53 AM: Sorry but I just had to write in. I met Alicia Jacobs at the Wag-a-Tail event a few months ago. I am a complete stranger to her, but I wanted to meet her & her very sweet little dogs. I told her about 1 of my dogs who is very ill with kidney problems. Well, let me tell you about this woman that 1 of you on this site, feels the need to trash. Alicia spent nearly 45 minutes with my 2 kids & me, telling us about her dog that had recently passed away from kidney disease. She shared the many treatments, medications, diet etc that she had used, which actually helped her dog survive longer than medical experts predicted. Jacobs also gave us her email address, & asked us to keep her updated on "Tiger's" condition. My kids still talk about that day, and how special she made us all feel.
    Drai, or whomever you are, you are picking on a kind, beautiful and smart lady...trust me,there's a reason Alicia is successful, & chances are, you are not.


    Seriously? wrote on June 17, 2009 12:33 AM: OK, seriously, did someone actually mention Alicia Jacobs and Tiffany Deleon in the same sentence? Come on ? I'm insulted for Alicia & for kvbc. I'm still trying to figure out how Deleon manages to keep her job, man...she's awful!
    I don't know either lady, but, Alicia is class, Deleon is trash, Seriously?


    Julie wrote on June 17, 2009 12:05 AM: Wow, this is one crazy series of comments, and nearly a week"s worth of them. I came across this page via google search on Danny Gans.
    Frankly, I think you are all nuts! Looks to me like Alicia is doing her job quite well. Anyone who evokes so much opinion,and emotion is undeniably a force.
    I have met her, found her warm & even prettier in person. I'm a huge animal lover, & I have great respect for her passion for animals.
    I also think she does a great job on TV, I've seen her on CNN a lot, and was real impressed...no one else in LV gets that kind of attention, so why not give the girl some credit. Why such a hater?
    Yeah, I also agree that it appears to be one poster with a nasty bias against Jacobs...move on, doesn't look like she's going anywhere, so deal with it.


    HM wrote on June 16, 2009 10:27 PM: Sean-are you on alicia jacob's payroll? If you were my friend, I would be so embarrassed. Honestly, give this up. The RJ has done a nice job uncovering this and you just need to let it go. Threatening people because they don't respect who alicia is!!?? I am a third generation Las Vegan in the hotel/casino industry and had never even heard of alicia until earlier this year. She is a local entertainment news reporter, nothing big. I do agree that she gives her opinion on her stories way too much, at least thepast few months. Maybe her contract was up and she needed to prove herself tohang on. Regardless, Sean, grow up and give this up, you won't win the fight for your friend. Too many people to take on and it must be draining. Happy posting!


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