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Fox dumps another gem

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* Fox Chicago’s unceremonious dumping of political reporter Jack Conaty right before the holidays apparently didn’t sate the corporate appetite for weeding out strong journalists. Now they’ve gone and axed another one.

Lilia Chacon was a 21-year Fox Chicago veteran and is one heck of a reporter. She was on her way to accept her Peabody award - television’s Pulitzer - when she got a call asking to confirm the story…

On Friday she was told that her position was being eliminated and that her contract would not be renewed when it expires July 3. She’s the latest in a growing list of on-air veterans who’ve been purged from Fox Chicago News in recent months, including Jack Conaty, Lauren Cohn, Byron Harlan, Nancy Loo and David Viggiano. Close to two dozen technical staffers also are slated for unemployment in the coming weeks.

Chacon, 56, insisted that she has no hard feelings about the move, saying: “I’ve had a very good ride there — 21 years. That is extraordinary.” But she expressed sadness at the thought of leaving a job and a station she loves:

“I’m sad about it because I really am not sure what the future holds — especially for reporters like me. I have played it pretty much down the middle with my reporting. I’ve always wanted to be part of what was good about journalism. . . . You need to work for people who value the skill set you’ve spent a lifetime assembling.”

The elimination of Chacon’s position underscores what she called “a fundamental change in the way the Fox affiliates do news.” As the stations try simultaneously to cut their budgets and differentiate the formats of their newscasts from the competition, reporters are getting edged out. Instead, unpaid “experts” or free-lance pundits are hauled into the studio to comment on the stories of the day and fill air time — the cheaper the better — just as cable networks have been doing for years.

Chicago has long been known as a great TV news town. Yeah, you can nit and pick all you want, but try finding any comparable hard-news local coverage anywhere else in this country. You won’t.

It sickens me to see what the bean counters are doing to the news business. Silly on-air chit-chat with goofy “unpaid experts” cannot replace actual journalism, no matter how hard they try.

The one bright side here is that Fox has hired former CBS2 political reporter Mike Flannery. But why anybody would want to fire a quality worker like Chacon is beyond me. I wish her nothing but the best. Go get ‘em, Lilia.

…Adding… Walter Jacobson tosses in an eloquent two cents…

Select a subject, any subject, any time in Chicago television news, and it’d be darn-near impossible to find an ‘expert’ more of an expert than Lilia Chacon, or a reporter who can become an expert faster and better than Lilia Chacon…or a reporter or anchor in Chicago who can communicate on television better (if as well) as Lilia. Or a reporter or anchor who has more connections in the neighborhoods, more access to newsmakers, or more (if as much) persuasive power to get them on the air. Or who knows the streets and the hallways of political power as Lilia Chacon knows them. Or can tell a story as she does. Or is more capable of handling, live on the air, fast-breaking news…not to mention her being a minority, a woman, and beautiful.

For what possible, conceivable reason can Fox News be letting her go?? I cannot remember a time in my 50 years in the business that Robert Feder was wrong about what’s going on in Chicago television news. Maybe he imagined this Lilia story, or made it up??? What a stupid, stupid mistake that station is making. What a loss for Fox News, a loss for our profession, a loss for our community. Sometimes I can’t help being ashamed of us.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, May 19, 10 @ 2:01 pm

Comments

The bean counters have learned a lesson from cable news: people like to be on tee vee, so much so that many will appear for free.

They must figure that it makes no sense to pay people to be on-air when so many others will line up to fill the airwaves with pablum and personal agendas for free.

I think we’d agree that substituting paid journalists for “volunteer” pundits is about the worst thing imaginable for the public, who depend on the news to make informed decisions. TV news is infotainment. Fox may not have invented it, but they sure are trying to perfect it.

Oh well. There’s always the internet.

Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, May 19, 10 @ 2:09 pm
I am so tired of the Main Stream media. This am I was getting ready for work and as usual had the news on. I was flipping through channels trying to find ONE station that had actual newsworthy stories. I didn’t want to see/hear all the imbecilic interviews of the family members who have had the latest tragedy befall them and the idiotic standard reporters questions such as “How do you feel?” I finally shut the TV off and turned on the radio after I listened to 10 minutes of back to back commercials interrupted just once by the host of the show interjecting a couple of tag lines reminding everyone of the important stories to follow the monotonous ads. I got to thinking that it really was sad that the supposed brightest and best of the News anchors could not find one actual news story that had real relevence instead of reporting ad nauseum on tabloid type stories broken up by hours of commercials. No wonder the public is so ill informed.

Comment by Irish Wednesday, May 19, 10 @ 2:14 pm
I always admired her reporting style and its content…she is at the top of her game…I’m not surprised after what happened to Carol Marin @ NBC…women over 50 get axed for better looking, less experienced Barbie dolls…that she remained at Fox this long is nothing short of miraculous…I wish her well and hope to see her on PBS/WTTW soon, where many “washed up” reporters find a gig…!

Comment by Loop Lady Wednesday, May 19, 10 @ 2:38 pm
The cost barriers to enter media have plummeted. If you want quality journalism you just have to search for it.

Take Capitol Fax for example. Small shop, thrifty, swift, timely, prudent and reliable.

Cost? A toll for the news right away, but free if you’re willing to wait.

Adapt.

Comment by Brennan Wednesday, May 19, 10 @ 2:41 pm
Apparently the bean counters at Fox are not counting magic beans,

Comment by Captain Flume Wednesday, May 19, 10 @ 2:42 pm
“not to mention her being a minority, a woman, and beautiful”

As long as such gender and race-based analysis is in the forefront of people’s minds, there will always be sexism and racism. It should matter what she looks like.

Comment by John Bambenek Wednesday, May 19, 10 @ 2:45 pm
The sad fact is, ratings are what drives local news. Fox News isn’t the #1 cable news network because they’re great journalist. Nancy Grace doesn’t have her job she knows how to get to the bottom of a story. People watch that crap. Viewers are just as responsible for the bastardization of the news as the giant corporations are.

At a time when ad revenues are down significantly, news operations (owners, not station staff) aren’t worried about doing their duty to the community they are supposed to serve. They’re worried about making a buck.

Comment by NP Wednesday, May 19, 10 @ 2:51 pm
why ruin it by adding Jacobsen. His little rants are annoying and pointless. I prefer WGN morning Zoo where all they seem to do is have fun.

Comment by Wumpus Wednesday, May 19, 10 @ 2:55 pm
There’s a new boss over at 32, a woman, her name escapes me, but she came from Channel 2 land. It’s news, but it’s also a business. and the new boss is making changes.

Comment by Amalia Wednesday, May 19, 10 @ 2:57 pm
I had no idea Mike Flannery was moving to FOX 32. This is how out of the loop I am on the media in Chicago.

Comment by Levois Wednesday, May 19, 10 @ 3:12 pm
Amailia, Carol Fowler. She was a reporter under the dome back in the day, I think out of Champaign.

I think the point was made that people will go on TV for nothing. You get what you pay for.

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, May 19, 10 @ 3:21 pm
Henry Kaiser used to say that problems were opportunities in work clothes. Someone as talented and connected as Lilia should be able to carve out a great new job in Media.

We just don’t get our news from papers and TV like we used to. The market is shriveling. Seniors are the folks left. Fox wants to find a profit, so they have to do drastic stuff like this. If you want TV to lose money in order to service communities, you got PBS. The other stations have to fend for themselves.

Comment by VanillaMan Wednesday, May 19, 10 @ 3:43 pm
Word, thanks for the name.

Comment by Amalia Wednesday, May 19, 10 @ 3:51 pm
Lilia is an award winning pro and her losing her job is another terrible blow for hard news in Chicago. She could replace any one of a couple of lightweights over at WTTW, and immediately raise its quality, and I would be a happy camper. The stations seem to be going for youth and vacuousness. I will wager, though, that most of the people who still regularly watch the 10:00 or 9:00 news shows are middle aged or better. So the stations are thumbing their noses at the few loyal viewers they still have watching–viewers who appreciate the veterans’ insights, their nose for news, and their knowledge of how this city works beneath the surface.

I sure hope somebody local is smart enough to offer Lilia a contract.

Comment by Responsa Wednesday, May 19, 10 @ 3:53 pm
Jacobson’s comments are really funny, but I guess that’s the reality in news…federal regs and all that. I didn’t really think of her as a ‘minority’…is it still OK to objectively like her?

She really is good…one of the few reporters I’ll stop channel surfing for. And, at least to this 50 something, I think she looks better than the standard ‘barbie doll’.

Hope she stays in Chicago. Carole Marin is really adding value to Chanell 11 news programs, maybe Lilia can do something like that as well.

Comment by Park Wednesday, May 19, 10 @ 6:40 pm
She could start her own blog

Comment by nick Wednesday, May 19, 10 @ 7:38 pm
Nobody wants real journalism, they just want Jon Stewarts.

Comment by fredformeranon Wednesday, May 19, 10 @ 9:24 pm
us?

Comment by Patrick McDonough Wednesday, May 19, 10 @ 11:50 pm
As Lilia’s sister, I have witnessed her years of determination, endurance, passion, and loyalty to this profession. She deserves tremendous respect for all she has given to her award-winning career. I am so profoundly proud and in awe of her.

Comment by Olgita Friday, May 21, 10 @ 10:55 am