Ron Fineman's ON THE RECORD

KTLA had back-to-back stories about people who want to save King/Drew Medical Center. One was Ted Garcia covering a nighttime community meeting, and the other was Marti Johnson covering a news conference. The lead-in to both stories, read by Hal Fishman, referred to the hospital's "latest failed inspection." But nowhere in either story was there any more detail about MLK's problems. From watching KTLA's coverage, you would not have known that the hospital was negligent in any patients' deaths. No, you can't rehash a five-part LA Times investigation. But there was no sense of what a disaster this hospital had become.

In Garcia's story, you even had community leader Sweet Alice Harris saying it is a "good hospital." I guess that is why it so badly failed the federal inspection. Really, isn't it the job of the news media to point out such a conflict? Well, not Ted Garcia or Marti Johnson.

Johnson said some claim "the closure is politically motivated." Then a worker at the hospital said "I think we need to look at what is the real motivation behind the county. Why are they, why are they manipulating the situation to close down this facility?"

What does that mean? Just how are county supervisors manipulating this mess? Johnson just let the sound bite stand, unquestioned.

It's been said before. The job of the reporter is more than just note taker. Sometimes you must challenge those in your story, and always you must include relevant facts. Garcia and Johnson failed viewers in this basic reporting.

I know this was predictable as a public figure in trouble going into rehab, but why is John Marc Karr any longer news? Once it was determined he was putting us on regarding the death of JonBenet Ramsey, why does the rest of his life matter? The guy was well known on false pretense to start with. Yet it seems that once you are a "celebrity" in the eyes of the news media, you are worth covering.

For example, KABC did a package on what Michelle Tuzee called "another dramatic turn of events." Prosecutors had recovered crucial evidence they lost in a child porn case. The computer which stored five porno images for which he was charged with possessing, was missing. But they have found a copy of those images which had already been copied.

Does that sound "dramatic" to you? Maybe it is an interesting point of law. But if this guy were John Jones, would KABC or anyone else be covering it? When it is finally resolved and there is a verdict, then maybe, I can see a mention on the news. But do you really care to follow his child porn possession case each step of the way?

In the past, I've noted how difficult it was to listen to Jennifer Sabih. Arguably, she had the worst voice in local TV news. (I know, there is some good competition in that category). Anyway, a while back I had heard that management had suggested she get help with her voice. Recently, I have noticed a difference, a positive difference, in her voice over. I guess I would describe it as much less sing-songy. I emailed Sabih to see if in fact she had gotten some voice coach help, but she did not respond.

Assuming that management did prompt her to get help, I give them credit. I often wonder if news director Nancy Bauer Gonzales is deaf. KCBS/KCAL may well have the worst voices in LA. Now I would suggest they work on Jackie Johnson, Suraya Fadel, Stacey Butler, Lisa Sigell, Susie Suh and Laura Diaz. As mentioned here before, Diaz's package voice over - as opposed to her anchoring - is not major market, and has some real affectation problems.

Maybe they've always been this way, but doesn't it seem a little odd the way that "Terrell Owens" and "Son's Death" appear slanted upward? It isn't just these two, either. More likely, I suspect the words are straight, but the black background is curved. Not a big deal, and maybe it looks better in HD.

As you know, Rick Chambers has a habit of screwing with the first names of reporters, apparently to create the impression of familiarity. He generally shortens them; "Amy" becomes "Aim" for example, while sometimes he will lengthen, as "Ann" becomes "Annie."

But with Mary Beth McDade recently, he found a new way. Chambers called her "MB." What is wrong with Amy, Ann or Mary Beth? You tell me.

On a day when a female LA City fire captain publicly claimed that the department is racist, sexist and homophobic, KCBS chose a different lead at 5pm last week. Their lead story was Terry Irwin talking about her husband on Australia ’s Nine network. The story of the female fire captain, Alicia Mathis, had to wait until 5:30.

It is already a given that KCBS will chose a lead that they believe will keep as much as their Dr Phil lead-in audience. News value is not what matters most. But when you happen to have a real story, which also would interest women, why go with a Terry Irwin interview from Australia? Shouldn't a lead story, still mean something?

I know, who am I to say? But I think Leslie Miller, who is an attractive woman, needs to settle down with a basic hair style and stick with it. I think the hair-do above tends to distract.

But I suppose women on TV are just like all women. Some tend to find a style they like and stick with it. Others are more likely to experiment. For example, I wonder how many times Leslie Sykes has changed her hair in the last year or two?

I'm afraid that the back pain problem that I hoped was disappearing, is not. It was bothering me enough on Monday so that I wasn't able to get out the Tuesday issue at the normal time. Honestly, I don't know what is going on with my health right now. Of course I will try to keep with the usual OTR schedule as much as possible. But I know you understand when my health problems intervene. My thanks to all of you for your nice notes since last Friday. Your support has always mattered a lot to me.

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