TV News Anchors Battle Wildfires: The Heartbreaking Reality of Covering a Hometown Crisis

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Jacob Soboroff, a reporter for NBC News and native of Pacific Palisades, expressed the heartache of witnessing his home community being reduced to ashes by wildfires since January 7,” said Soboroff, who has dedicated nearly every moment since the blaze started to reporting on this tragedy from ground zero, which is essentially his hometown.

He expresses that it’s unending sorrow,” he states. “Being from here creates a peculiar sense of cognitive dissonance for me. On one hand, I’m immersed in it as a reporter, but on the other, I share the same emotional devastation as everyone else. Yet, I feel a great sense of pride to hail from the Palisades. In a way, I also see myself as one of the voices that can articulate this community, grasp its essence.

Amidst a period when the television industry is experiencing a downturn and tech pioneers such as Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg deem traditional media as outdated, an event like the Los Angeles fires underscores once more the significance of TV, not only major news networks but also local news stations that have been providing continuous, comprehensive coverage straight from the epicenter of the disaster for several days in a row.

Undeniably, local news plays a crucial role, serving as vital infrastructure that keeps communities informed with immediate evacuation notices, live footage of rapidly spreading fires, and rigorous interrogation of officials during press briefings. Unlike social media platforms which have become breeding grounds for negativity, making it challenging for users to distinguish between truths and falsehoods (or perhaps even AI-generated deceptions), local journalists present on the scene directly confront leaders with tough questions in search of answers amidst the ongoing crisis.

“They are performing a public service in the most literal sense,” Soboroff says.

Journalist and anchor Jasmine Viel from KCAL has been one of the local reporters covering the recent fires. She mentioned that numerous viewers have privately contacted her, anxious for updates regarding their homes or surrounding areas.

She mentions that numerous individuals have contacted her through messages, emails, and even sought her out on social media,” she explains, “all wanting to know if their house was still intact. They asked if she could share a photo of their street with them.

John Fenoglio from KTLA agrees, saying that while it’s both fulfilling and tiring, covering the news can be a powerful demonstration of broadcast journalism. Even amidst the distressing events, it’s our specialty – breaking news – and it underscores the value and relevance of local news.

Indeed, it’s not just the local news anchors who possess a personal tie to the crisis; similar to Soboroff and his NBC counterpart Katy Tur, who both hail from the Palisades, numerous national journalists reporting on the fire originate from this region or have relatives residing here. This shared connection lends their coverage a more heartfelt and relatable quality compared to when they’re sent to cover disasters in distant lands.

Bill Melugin, a Fox News national correspondent originally from Orange County, admits that he’d be clueless about the current fires if he were raised in Minnesota. However, being from Southern California, where fires are a part of growing up, he feels more prepared. In fact, when he was just 3 years old, there was a fire known as the Laguna Canyon Fire in ’93 that came dangerously close to burning his family’s home.

As a dedicated fan, I found myself wading through the charred remnants of my aunt’s house in the Palisades, salvaging whatever important documents and treasured items my team and I could locate from a safe that the flames had melted open. “I was grabbing scorching jewelry straight away,” I admitted, “and had to quickly shove it into my pockets. But I felt compelled to retrieve it promptly before anyone else noticed the safe ajar or further damage was inflicted upon family heirlooms that belonged to my great grandmother.

Jonathan Vigliotti, a national correspondent for CBS News, wasn’t raised in Los Angeles, but just like numerous other national news teams, he now calls L.A. home. “I currently live in the Hollywood Hills, which is far enough away from the Palisades fire to avoid immediate danger, but my husband was in constant contact, asking about our situation and if he should leave. I recall telling him on Tuesday that he was safe. Little did I know, how wrong I was, as the following day, our house was put under mandatory evacuation. So, I’m reporting on the Palisades fire while my husband, friends, neighbors, and everyone else had to flee.

According to Tim Wieland, president and general manager of KCAL and KCBS, several team members have unfortunately lost their homes due to the fire. Currently, we have 15 staff members under an evacuation order. Additionally, there are employees whose homes have been damaged by the fire, and they’re unsure when they can return to see if their houses are still habitable. Wieland also mentioned that some employees had to leave the newsroom to assist friends and family with evacuations or personal emergencies, but they returned later in the day, fully aware of how crucial their tasks are.

In most TV stories we concentrate on a specific small aspect, so we’ll highlight the worst parts of it, according to Gutman. However, in this case – the Palisades fire and the aftermath of the Altadena fire – it’s different. The camera just can’t fully capture the vastness that the human eye can perceive.

Occasionally, the emotional bond with a place can generate heart-wrenching scenes similar to those seen on primetime TV. For example, while reporting on the fire in the Palisades, Soboroff was astonished to find that his old synagogue was still intact. He took advantage of this discovery during his broadcast.

He expresses that it’s crucial for both our viewers and locals like himself, who were raised here, to understand that it’s not entirely lost, and will return gradually. As an Angeleno, there’s a deep-rooted connection with the environment, a constant awareness of living harmoniously with nature that many urban areas lack. However, witnessing this transformation is truly unique.

You can find this article in the January 17th edition of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Consider subscribing by clicking here.

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2025-01-18 21:25