Jul 22 2006

Sinful, Debauched, Corrupt

by Megan Edwards
Vegas in the Headlines

“In a state where sin, debauchery and corruption are commonplace, it takes a lot to get people talking.” That’s how AP reporter Angie Wagner kicked off her story about the recent death of Nevada state controller Kathy Augustine. I wasn’t surprised to find news of Augustine’s unexpected demise finding its way into national headlines. Her family suspects foul play on the part of her husband Chaz Higgs, a male nurse who also just might have had something to do with the death of the husband he replaced. Augustine’s former spouse died while under the care of Higgs. Higgs and Augustine got married almost before the body cooled.

Because two very dear friends of mine live across the street from Kathy Augustine’s Las Vegas home (she had another one in Reno because of her state job), I heard many theories and tidbits about Kathy’s life before they made it into the news. The picture that emerged was not a particularly savory one, and the details made one thing obvious from the start. The story has all the characteristics of a made-for-tabloid tale. I’m sure it’s only a matter of time until those half-size supermarket rags start filling space with logorrhea of the Jon Benet Ramsey kind.

I am a little annoyed, however, that an AP reporter launched her piece with the gratuitous comment I quoted above. The rest of her story seems fairly balanced and accurate. My guess is that Nevada in general and Las Vegas in particular are just too tempting to sum up with cheesy stereotypes. There are so many, after all, just hanging around with their legs in the air, their flies unzipped, and their hands in the till. How is a poor reporter supposed to resist?

I used to think journalistic objectivity was something that actually existed, but a conversation I had recently with Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Corey Levitan reminded me that it’s really un unachievable grail. You want to believe that reputable reporters can stand outside the stories they cover and create an objective account when they sit down to write, but they can’t. No matter how much they try to play it down, they’re still creating pictures distorted by their own peculiar personal lenses.

So, okay. Reporters are people, and if I read their stories, I know I’m going to get a taste of their politics, their morals, and their world views. But come on! Shouldn’t somebody smart enough to write for the Associated Press also be able to tell the difference between a statement that can be supported by evidence and blatant sensationalism? Actually, I’m sure Ms. Wagner can. It’s just that it’s so much fun to call a whole state “debauched” as though it’s a self-evident truth. And it’s so hip to imply that we’re all so drunk, so horny, and so surrounded by corpses that it takes the untimely death of an elected official to get our attention.

I realize I may sound offended here, but I’m not. If I took offense at every comment like that, I’d never have any time to do drugs, have ilicit sex, or bribe a cop. I just like to point them out while I’m ignoring the dead body in my driveway.

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