Wednesday, July 11, 2007

The Jacobson Mystique

As someone who grew up elsewhere, I've never fully wrapped my head around the extreme affection so many Bostonians seem to have for outgoing WCVB anchor Natalie Jacobson.

Don't get me wrong: she's obviously a very capable and accomplished newswoman. But something more is at work here; I just don't quite get what it is.

The Globe and Herald's write-ups of Jacobson's retirement don't fully explain the Jacobson Mystique. This Boston magazine profile from a few years back comes closer, but I still feel like I'm missing something.

So, Bostonians: can you help the rest of us understand why so many people love Jacobson so much?

P.S.--Looks like John Gonzalez was on the right track earlier this year, subsequent reports notwithstanding.

7/11/2007 2:14:50 PM by Adam Reilly | Comments [3] |

Wednesday, July 11, 2007 3:21:38 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

The Jacobson Mystique - lol - Face the facts here: She's a dinosaur as is locally based TV News. Long gone are the days when these local broadcasts were relevant.

While it may have seemed quite useful and even "in-debth" in the pre-internet days; currently, the stories are all rushed; or worse - are simply copied feeds from the major networks or are celebrity oriented.

Additionally, how many times have you tuned into these "local" newscasts and they are covering some wildfire out west or Paris Hilton getting arrested or something like that - "News You Need Not Know!"

Another thing that they all currently do is to start the news at 5:00 and then announce "teaser" stories like this: "Tune in at 6:00 and see this story..."

Missing from the news of Natty's departure is the fact that Channel 5 has simply gone the way of Ch 7 when they ran Tom Ellis out of town - for cheaper and younger faces to read off of the teleprompter. And Ch 4 did the same thing when Liz Walker got the heave hoe to a Sunday program.

I don't even know a single person who actually still tunes into "local newscasts" to find out whats going on locally. If it wasn't for the sports coverage and weather coverage thay's all be out of business IMO.

OIC

Thursday, July 12, 2007 9:57:32 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

I think Kevin Convey owes me an apology, don't you? Reilly, mobilize your followers--I want them picketing the Herald office until he caves...

Gonz

Friday, July 13, 2007 10:24:26 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

I don't fully get the "Natalie Jacobson mystique" either- but I also don't understand how the heir to a car dealership who plays a little guitar on the side and the wives of players on the local team are celebrities around here either- when was the last time anyone the name "Michelle Damon" since they went to New York?

j g

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