Local Reporter In Hot Water Over Stebic Story

chicoliving

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WMAQ-TV's Amy Jacobson Seen At Stebic's Home With Family

A Chicago television reporter is in hot water over her technique in pursuing a source in the disappearance of Lisa Stebic.

~snip~

A video captured Friday shows WMAQ-TV reporter Amy Jacobson wearing a bikini and wrapped in a towel at Craig Stebic's home. Also seen in the video are Stebic himself, his sister from Iowa, and Jacobson's two children.

~snip~

Neighbors tell CBS 2 that Jacobson has been visiting Stebic's house frequently since his estranged wife's disappearance. Why she has been there is unclear; while she has covered the story, she has never mentioned any social relationship with Stebic or his family.

http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/local_story_191075534.html

An interesting twist to say the least
 
Amy Jacobson, a reporter for WMAQ-Channel 5, is in hot water with her bosses for going swimming on her day off with the estranged husband of a missing Plainfield woman.

Dressed in a two-piece swimsuit, Jacobson brought her two young sons, ages 3 and 2, with her Friday when she swam in the backyard pool of Craig Stebic.

Dressed in a two-piece swimsuit, Jacobson brought her two young sons, ages 3 and 2, with her Friday when she swam in the backyard pool of Craig Stebic.

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/461634,CST-FIN-feder10.article
 
Is the reporter married?
Surely she does not find Craig Stebic attractive. This can't be a personal thing..she must have been hoping to give him the false impression that she was interested in a friendship in order to get him to trust her with his secrets.
I can't think of any good reason to bring her kids except to keep Craig from jumping her right there by the pool. Of course we know that having kids around won't stop him from anything. And what an irresponsible thing for a mom to do with two toddlers!
The call from his sis sounds like a poor excuse. Was she in any of the video? Was sis even there at all?
NOT. VERY. SMART.

Susan
 
Thanks, Chicoliving!

Jacobson immediately was taken off the Stebic story and was told to hire a lawyer, the Sun-Times reported.

Wan't this part of her job? Double standard garbage from her new atty!: Jacobson’s attorney, Kathleen Zellner, said the tape should not be aired “because unauthorized taping on someone's property is a crime.”
"You can't just go around videotaping and disseminating the tape. ... To me, it begins and ends there.”
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,288819,00.html
 
Thanks, Chicoliving!

Jacobson immediately was taken off the Stebic story and was told to hire a lawyer, the Sun-Times reported.

Wan't this part of her job? Double standard garbage from her new atty!: Jacobson’s attorney, Kathleen Zellner, said the tape should not be aired “because unauthorized taping on someone's property is a crime.”
"You can't just go around videotaping and disseminating the tape. ... To me, it begins and ends there.”
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,288819,00.html

Ah-ha-ha! :D

Too late! I already saw it on our local LA news channel KCAL! It's already all over the place.

What is this woman thinking?! Doesn't she know this guy will do it again? Doesn't she watch the news?:waitasec:

JMHO
fran
 
From the first link:
"To quote from the (Society of Professional Journalists) code of ethics, they say, 'Remain free of associations and activities that may compromise integrity or damage credibility,'"

Who does a NEWS interview in their bikini, with their CHILDREN around?
But, if thats the stance she wants to take, then fine.. What did she learn that day about the case.. if she came clean, perhaps people would believe her?
 
Is the reporter married?
Surely she does not find Craig Stebic attractive. This can't be a personal thing..she must have been hoping to give him the false impression that she was interested in a friendship in order to get him to trust her with his secrets.
I can't think of any good reason to bring her kids except to keep Craig from jumping her right there by the pool. Of course we know that having kids around won't stop him from anything. And what an irresponsible thing for a mom to do with two toddlers!
The call from his sis sounds like a poor excuse. Was she in any of the video? Was sis even there at all?
NOT. VERY. SMART.

Susan

From her bio at NBC:
Jacobson married Jaime Anglada in 2002. They have two boys, ages 2 and 1.

http://www.nbc5.com/meetthenewsteam/1189091/detail.html
 
Maybe she has a death wish.

Even if she was trying to get him to talk, she should have left her kids home. What an idiot.
 
yep, fired. What was she thinking??

and told to get an attorney! :)

Thus those threatening words from her attorney! LOL, but it's too late, the video is out there. I even saw the uncut one. ;)

You're right! What was she thinking?:loser: or NOT!

JMHO
fran
 
Her credibility is shot and she becomes an active part of Lisa Stebic's investigation even if she was just doing this for a story. LE can't overlook a personal relationship no matter what. They will have to take this into account. This throws a wrench into their investigation and I bet they are fit to be tied over it.
 
Her credibility is shot and she becomes an active part of Lisa Stebic's investigation even if she was just doing this for a story. LE can't overlook a personal relationship no matter what. They will have to take this into account. This throws a wrench into their investigation and I bet they are fit to be tied over it.

What bothers me is often times these news people have 'inside tracts' with LE. Who knows how many 'heads-up' she could have given the most likely supect or POI, IMHO.

She may have jeopradized LE's ability to ever catch Lisa's killer!:furious:

JMHO
fran
 
Maybe they will file charges for Obstruction or impeding an invest on her. Serves her right for inserting herself so far into an investigation of this nature. She was only out to make a 'name' for herself and she has certainly achieved that goal!
 
I watched the video.
From what I saw, she looked to be very comfortable and nonchalant. She seemed to me to be used to being around Craig, his house and his kids. She wan't being flirtacious or even very friendly. I wonder who she was talking to on the phone. It looked like she stuck her head outside the patio door during one call...maybe she didn't want the other person to hear voices in Craig's house?..."Hi, honey, I'm at the pool at the club with the boys, gotta hurry--kids in the pool, bye!"

Maybe she is related to Craig like a cousin or something. The man has no appeal of any kind-- not wit , intelligence, money, power, talant or charm, his appearance is slovenly, and he has a house full of kids and a potential murder hanging over his head! I can't imagine he would even be able to get any action in prison, for goodness sake!

Maybe they are like the Muensters from oldie tv and she is the pretty sister! EEEeekkkkkk!

Susan
 
Let me just say...oh the stories I could tell about Amy....she has the ethics of a worm. Now if they can Ben Bradley doing something.
 
Maybe she was doing a little "under cover" work.
:D
 
Thanks, Chicoliving!

Jacobson immediately was taken off the Stebic story and was told to hire a lawyer, the Sun-Times reported.

Wan't this part of her job? Double standard garbage from her new atty!: Jacobson’s attorney, Kathleen Zellner, said the tape should not be aired “because unauthorized taping on someone's property is a crime.”
"You can't just go around videotaping and disseminating the tape. ... To me, it begins and ends there.”
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,288819,00.html

LOL Oh really? Obviously Zellner has never heard of paparazzi.
 
http://www.chicagotribune.com/busin...57.story?coll=chi-news-hed&ctrack=2&cset=true


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Reporter's pool visit results in departure
Amy Jacobson leaves job at Channel 5 after tape of her appearance at Craig Stebic's home is made public

By Phil Rosenthal
Tribune media columnist
Published July 11, 2007, 12:01 AM CDT


By showing up in a swimsuit along with her kids, WMAQ-Ch. 5 reporter Amy Jacobson was treading uncertain waters without dipping so much as a toe in the backyard pool of Craig Stebic, whose wife's disappearance Jacobson had been covering.

If Jacobson was hoping to make a big journalistic splash, she instead suffered the self-inflicted sting of a belly flop as her bid to ingratiate herself with a potential source made its own headlines, including this one, heralding her exit from Channel 5.


So the last would-be exclusive she would ever chase for WMAQ instead became fodder for an exclusive at rival WBBM-Ch. 2, which on Tuesday aired and posted online video of her and her children at the same Plainfield residence that Lisa Stebic was moving to evict her estranged husband from on April 30, the day she vanished.

A memo to WMAQ news staff Tuesday announced Jacobson's negotiated exit, effective immediately, from the NBC-owned station, where she had worked since 1996.

"The last couple of days have been tough on everyone," Vice President of News Frank Whittaker and News Director Camille Edwards wrote.

Earlier newspaper reports said Channel 5 was reviewing her conduct and that Channel 2 had tape of Jacobson's Friday visit to Stebic's home. Then Channel 2 made the tape public.

The videotape was neither bought nor shot by a freelancer, said WBBM News Director Carol Fowler, who did not want to say more about its origin.

It is not clear whether Jacobson ultimately was sacrificed because she crossed a journalistic ethical line that says it's OK to be friendly with newsmakers but not really friends or because the station believed the incident was destined to forever brand her in this town more for the news she made than all the news she broke. Station officials would not discuss the matter.

The situation is reminiscent of the 1988 incident in which Giselle Fernandez, then a reporter for WBBM, was contacted by south suburban drug dealer John Cappas about covering his surrender to authorities. Between their interview and federal agents, she went on a speed boat with him and bought him a final pizza, drawing lasting widespread criticism.

"Amy's contributions as a reporter over the last 10 years are numerous," the WMAQ memo said. "Her hustle and passion for news have given us an edge on many top stories. She worked long hours on many days, and we appreciate all she's done."

It's those same traits that this time got Jacobson in trouble.

Jacobson said Tuesday she was not able to comment on the matter. Her representatives, including agent attorney Todd Musburger, did not respond to repeated calls.
 

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