Walter Jacobson
Encyclopedia
Walter David Jacobson is a Chicago
television news personality and current anchor
of the 6 p.m. news on WBBM-TV
. He had been working at WBBM-TV since February 2010 once again doing Walter Jacobson's Perspective twice a week on the 10 O'Clock News prior to being promoted to anchoring the 6 p.m. Formerly, he hosted FOX Chicago Perspective, a one-hour news and political show that aired Sunday mornings on WFLD-TV. He was the principal anchor on WFLD
's FOX News at 9 until his 2006 retirement
.
on Chicago's South Side, the son of insurance agent Sam Jacobson and his mother, Anne Jacobson. His family lived on Kenmore Avenue in Chicago's Rogers Park
neighborhood. A Chicagoan during his youth, Jacobson's love for the Chicago Cubs
led him to become a batboy
for the team in 1952 and 1953, and motivated him to his first journalism job as the sports editor for his grammar school newspaper.
In sixth grade, Jacobson's family moved to Glencoe, Illinois
. Jacobson attended New Trier High School
, received his bachelor's degree in political science from Grinnell College
in 1959 and his master's degree in journalism from Columbia University in New York.
, later joining the Chicago bureau of United Press International
. He then joined the reporting staff of the Chicago American newspaper, where he was the legman for legendary columnist Jack Mabley
.
as a news writer, and was promoted to be a full-time reporter in 1968. He became WBBM's political editor in 1970. In 1971, Jacobson was fired by WBBM-TV, and he moved over to WMAQ
for two years. In March 1973, he returned to WBBM as an investigative reporter and anchor, co-anchoring the 10 p.m. news for much of the next 16 years with Bill Kurtis
. Kurtis and Jacobson a legendary anchor team in Chicago and from the mid-1970s to early 1980s the team enjoyed unprecedented ratings dominance. Kurtis left for three years in 1982 to go to CBS News
in New York, and WBBM fell out of first place four years later. Jacobson left for WFLD in 1993 after a dispute with WBBM's management. The station slipped into last place two years later.
Jacobson generated significant controversy while at WBBM from his "Walter Jacobson's Perspective" commentaries, which were delivered live from his own office during the station's 10 p.m. newscasts. The commentaries often criticized government waste and political hypocrisy. In May 1983, Jacobson famously criticized Chicago's mayor at the time, Harold Washington
, alleging that Washington used city workers to paint and redecorate his apartment. Washington responded that city personnel were only used for security-related modifications. Months later, Washington called out Jacobson at a television academy luncheon, saying, "Walter, you're the bottom of the barrel."
While at WBBM, Jacobson also became known for his temper. In March 1977, he was suspended with pay for two days for being what his news director labeled a "disruptive element" in the newsroom. "I think arguments are healthy, and I certainly don't think I've been abusive," Jacobson told the Chicago Tribune at the time. In April 1986, Jacobson got into a shouting match with Ken Boles, a WBBM executive news producer, in a bank near WBBM's studios. Boles was fired several weeks later. In February 1988, another shouting match occurred in the middle of the newsroom between Jacobson and an assignment desk editor, regarding the previous evening's newscast. And, in February 1992, Jacobson was reported to have thrown a book at a newsroom staffer's head, causing both him and the staffer to be summoned to the office of the station's general manager. Jacobson later explained to the Tribune that the incident merely was his producer tossing a book over a divider, and Jacobson then "tossing it back." In February 1994—after jumping to WFLD—Jacobson exclaimed, "Oh, fuck you!" to an off-camera director during a live newscast. "I just snapped for an instant," he told the Chicago Sun-Times. "I muttered a swear word under my breath. I exploded. I'm human."
In September 1973, Jacobson was approached by Chicago liberals about running for mayor against Richard J. Daley
, but he turned them down. He was solo anchor of the 5pm news for 10 years (until September 1991) and co-anchor of the 10pm newscast for 16 years, until he was replaced by Linda MacLennan
in 1989.
On November 13, 2009, Jacobson reunited for one evening with his co-anchor of 20 years earlier, Bill Kurtis
, to anchor the WBBM 10 PM news in Chicago while the usual anchor, Rob Johnson, was on vacation.
On July 29, 2010 it was annonced that Jacobson and Bill Kurtis
will anchor the 6 p.m. newscast beginning September 1.
. At WFLD, Jacobson was the most popular of the station's news personalities, such as Robin Robinson
, Tamron Hall
, Byron Harlan, Nancy Pender and Corey McPherrin
. Largely because of his influence, WFLD's newscasts have less of a tabloid
feel than other FOX stations. However, they are much flashier than the other newscasts in Chicago, especially compared to WBBM during Jacobson's time there.
During much of his career, Walter hosted his own commentary segment entitled “Walter Jacobson in Perspective”. The basic concept revolved around Walter's rants, which usually contained either biting social commentary or attacks on great injustices around the Midwest. Walter was never afraid to 'overstep' his boundaries. At times, he would often go after corrupt City of Chicago officials, or lash out at city workers and police officers that did little or no work. Also, Walter would use his segment to take up for the unempowered, helping fix various city based problems in poor neighborhoods, and helping numerous blue-collar worker
s.
Although Walter achieved success for himself and the city of Chicago
, he was often heavily criticized by various traditional and conservative
critics. Walter dedicated one of his segments to share hate mail
he received over his career. Although most of the letters contained powerful and vulgar tones, which criticized Walter for what many saw as ignorance about gun control
, one letter complimented Walter for his hard work, and Walter thanked the writer.
Jacobson often used his air time to tell Chicagoans humorous, though not necessarily newsworthy, anecdotes. He once used at least ten minutes of air time to explain how as a child he lost his baseball
glove at Wrigley Field
, and how it was recently found and returned to him.
In 1992, Jacobson scored an exclusive interview with serial killer John Wayne Gacy
-- an interview that he called "the biggest scoop of my career." Two years later, Jacobson won a lottery to be one of 12 journalists and onlookers to watch Gacy's execution.
In November 1993, during the key ratings sweeps period, Jacobson showed up on the news wearing a T-shirt, according to a December 19, 1993 article in the Chicago Sun-Times.
During a commentary in January 1995, Jacobson divulged the home telephone number of Illinois Supreme Court
Justice James D. Heiple and urged viewers to use the phone number to tell Heiple what they thought of his ruling in the controversial Baby Richard
baby custody case. "I wanted people to call him up and bother him until he did the right thing," Jacobson explained. Local newspaper columnists universally denounced the stunt, and a local bar association referred to the act as "journalistic stalking." Jacobson later conceded that he had gone "over the line."
In September 2004, Jacobson was demoted from his role as WFLD-TV's principal male news anchor when the station chose to install Mark Suppelsa
in Jacobson's place as WFLD's 9 p.m. news anchor. Jacobson remained at the station, however, hosting a Sunday morning public-affairs talk show and providing his "Perspective" commentaries during the station's 9 p.m. newscasts.
In February 2006, following Vice-President Dick Cheney
's well-publicized hunting mishap
, in which he accidentally shot a fellow hunter, Jacobson criticized Cheney for not speaking publicly about the incident. Walter proclaimed in his commentary, "I'm after you, Dick Cheney!" and later "You can't hide in the White House forever, I'll be waiting outside", while flaunting his portable coffee cup at a good moment to show that he would be comfortable and relaxed with a warm drink while outside the White House
.
In April 2006, Jacobson announced that he would be leaving WFLD in order to retire, although his departure ultimately was the result of the station choosing not to renew his contract. During every 9pm broadcast before April 30, WFLD aired a special segment to honor Walter and his memorable contributions and accomplishments throughout his career.
In 1982, Jacobson married Diane Dybsky, a former schoolteacher. They later divorced, after having two daughters, Julia and Genevieve. In March 1995, Jacobson married advertising executive Susan G. "Susie" Jacobson.
Walter Jacobson's son, Peter Jacobson
, is an actor who has appeared in the television programs Will and Grace , Law & Order
, and House
and films like Good Night, and Good Luck, Transformers and Failure to Launch
. Peter Jacobson also has done stage work in New York
.
In a landmark case in media law, Jacobson and WBBM's owner, CBS
, were found guilty by a federal jury in Chicago in November 1985 of libeling the Brown & Williamson
tobacco company in a November 1981 expose in which Jacobson accused the cigarette manufacturer of marketing cigarettes to children and teens. The next month, the jury awarded Brown & Williamson $5.1 million, with Jacobson personally liable for $50,000. An appeals court ultimately cut the award to $3 million, but let Jacobson's share stand. "I feel some outrage, some fury as well as disappointment. I am outraged at the cigarette industry for trying to intimidate the press. I don`t feel intimidated," Jacobson told the Chicago Tribune in an article that appeared on December 6, 1985.
In September 1997, Jacobson was arrested and charged with grabbing a restaurant owner in Chicago's Humboldt Park
neighborhood who wouldn't answer his questions about homeless people interfering with businesses in the neighborhood. Jacobson ultimately was acquitted of misdemeanor battery, trespass and disorderly conduct charges a few months later.
In May 2004, Jacobson was arrested in Chicago's Lincoln Park
neighborhood and charged with driving under the influence, running a stop sign, invalid registration and obstructing traffic after he allegedly double-parked his 2004 Saab outside a Lincoln Park pizzeria and was seen by police "stumbling" out of the shop. Jacobson reportedly was advised by an officer not to drive his car pending a sobriety test, but he went ahead and did so anyway, and after several blocks was pulled over by officers. Jacobson ultimately passed the Breathalyzer test, and the DUI charge was dropped, just four days before his induction into the Chicago Journalism Hall of Fame. Jacobson ultimately pleaded guilty to negligent driving, obstruction of traffic and running a stop sign, and he was sentenced to four months' supervision and was fined $450. He also agreed to undergo evaluation of his use of alcohol. After the incident, Jacobson responded—with his Perspective commentary—on Fox News, claiming he was pulled over by an unmarked car full of people in baseball cap
s, not policemen. He later went on to say that he was "mishandled" by the police. http://www.nbc5.com/news/3283456/detail.html
On June 18, 2008, Jacobson was arrested near his home in Chicago's Lincoln Park
neighborhood for DUI charges after failing a field sobriety and Breathalyzer test. The charges are pending. Image 49. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-mug-photogallery,0,5488047.photogallery
after a fall during a late-night visit to the China Club nightclub in Chicago, where he was watching the Village People
perform, according to a February 8, 1993 article in the Chicago Sun-Times.
In January 1995, while disguised as a homeless man for a February sweeps piece, Jacobson tripped on a concrete pillar and fell flat on his face, getting cuts and bruises on his chin and under one eye, according to a January 31, 1995 article in the Chicago Sun-Times. "I saw stars for a minute or two," Jacobson told the paper.
In November 2002, Jacobson slipped on a pumpkin on his front steps and fractured several ribs, according to a November 7, 2002 article in the Chicago Sun-Times.
' short-lived sitcom, Uncle Buck, which was based on the movie of the same name. The episode aired on October 1, 1990.
recognized his commentaries with Emmy Awards. In fact, Jacobson won Chicago Emmy awards for 10 straight years—1974 until 1983—for his commentaries. In 1985, a Washington Journalism Review poll named Jacobson best local anchor in the United States. In 1988, he received his fifth Peter Lisagor
Award, his third for "best commentary." During the 1980s, the duPont-Columbia judges honored him twice for his work at WBBM-TV
-- once for his commentaries and once for best local election coverage in the United States. Jacobson's notable WBBM-TV
specials and programs included the Emmy Award-winning Walter Jacobson's Journal: China and Studebaker: Less Than They Promised, which received a Peabody Award
.
Jacobson's most infamous news story occurred at WBBM-TV in February 1991, just two years before he switched to WFLD-TV. Wearing a fake beard, Jacobson dressed up as a homeless person and lived on the streets of Chicago for 48 hours, visiting Lower Wacker Drive, Clarendon Park, the corner of Halsted and Addison Streets, and the corner across the street from the Lincoln Park
townhouse of his former anchor partner, Bill Kurtis
. He had a hidden camera and recorded what he experienced in a series he dubbed "Mean Street Diary." Critics at the city's newspapers roundly mocked Jacobson for the stunt. "It was amazing that he was able to transform an issue of such inherent sorrow and desperation into something that could yield so many moments of great, if unintended, humor," wrote Rick Kogan
in the Chicago Tribune
.
In January 1995 at WFLD, Jacobson reprised his role as a homeless man for the hidden cameras.
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
television news personality and current anchor
News presenter
A news presenter is a person who presents news during a news program in the format of a television show, on the radio or the Internet.News presenters can work in a radio studio, television studio and from remote broadcasts in the field especially weather...
of the 6 p.m. news on WBBM-TV
WBBM-TV
WBBM-TV, virtual channel 2 , is the CBS owned-and-operated television station in Chicago, Illinois. WBBM-TV's main studios and offices are located in The Loop section of Chicago, as part of the development at Block 37, and its transmitter is atop the Willis Tower.-History:WBBM-TV traces its history...
. He had been working at WBBM-TV since February 2010 once again doing Walter Jacobson's Perspective twice a week on the 10 O'Clock News prior to being promoted to anchoring the 6 p.m. Formerly, he hosted FOX Chicago Perspective, a one-hour news and political show that aired Sunday mornings on WFLD-TV. He was the principal anchor on WFLD
WFLD
WFLD, virtual channel 32 , is the Fox owned-and-operated television station, based in Chicago, Illinois; through its parent company News Corporation, the station is owned in a duopoly with area MyNetworkTV affiliate WPWR-TV...
's FOX News at 9 until his 2006 retirement
Retirement
Retirement is the point where a person stops employment completely. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours.Many people choose to retire when they are eligible for private or public pension benefits, although some are forced to retire when physical conditions don't allow the person to...
.
Early life
Walter David Jacobson was born at Michael Reese HospitalMichael Reese Hospital
Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center was an American hospital founded in 1881. In its heyday, it was a major research and teaching hospital and one of the oldest and largest hospitals in Chicago, Illinois. It was located on the near south side of Chicago, next to Lake Shore Drive Michael...
on Chicago's South Side, the son of insurance agent Sam Jacobson and his mother, Anne Jacobson. His family lived on Kenmore Avenue in Chicago's Rogers Park
Rogers Park, Chicago
Rogers Park is one of the 77 Chicago community areas on the far north side of Chicago, Illinois, and is also the name of the Chicago neighborhood that constitutes most of the community area...
neighborhood. A Chicagoan during his youth, Jacobson's love for the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
led him to become a batboy
Batboy
A batboy is an individual who carries the baseball bats around to a baseball team. A batboy may also lay out the equipment and mud the baseballs to be used in the game.Mascots and batboys had both been part of baseball since the 1880s....
for the team in 1952 and 1953, and motivated him to his first journalism job as the sports editor for his grammar school newspaper.
In sixth grade, Jacobson's family moved to Glencoe, Illinois
Glencoe, Illinois
Glencoe is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the village population was 8,723. Glencoe is located on suburban Chicago's North Shore. Glencoe is located within the New Trier High School District. Glencoe is regarded as one of the most affluent suburbs on...
. Jacobson attended New Trier High School
New Trier High School
New Trier High School is a public four-year high school , with its major campus located in Winnetka, Illinois, USA, and a second campus in Northfield, Illinois, with freshman classes and district administration...
, received his bachelor's degree in political science from Grinnell College
Grinnell College
Grinnell College is a private liberal arts college in Grinnell, Iowa, U.S. known for its strong tradition of social activism. It was founded in 1846, when a group of pioneer New England Congregationalists established the Trustees of Iowa College....
in 1959 and his master's degree in journalism from Columbia University in New York.
Newspaper career
Jacobson began his career at Chicago's City News BureauCity News Bureau of Chicago
City News Bureau of Chicago, or City Press, was a news bureau that served as one of the first cooperative news agencies in the United States. It was founded in the late 19th century by the newspapers of Chicago to provide a common source of local and breaking news and also used by them as a...
, later joining the Chicago bureau of United Press International
United Press International
United Press International is a once-major international news agency, whose newswires, photo, news film and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines and radio and television stations for most of the twentieth century...
. He then joined the reporting staff of the Chicago American newspaper, where he was the legman for legendary columnist Jack Mabley
Jack Mabley
Jack Mabley was an American newspaper reporter and columnist.John Arnold Mabley was born on October 26, 1915 in Binghamton, New York State to Clarence Ware Mabley and Mabelle née Howe, a concert pianist....
.
Career at WBBM-TV
In 1963, Jacobson left the Chicago American to join WBBM-TVWBBM-TV
WBBM-TV, virtual channel 2 , is the CBS owned-and-operated television station in Chicago, Illinois. WBBM-TV's main studios and offices are located in The Loop section of Chicago, as part of the development at Block 37, and its transmitter is atop the Willis Tower.-History:WBBM-TV traces its history...
as a news writer, and was promoted to be a full-time reporter in 1968. He became WBBM's political editor in 1970. In 1971, Jacobson was fired by WBBM-TV, and he moved over to WMAQ
WMAQ-TV
WMAQ-TV, channel 5, is an owned-and-operated television station of the NBC Television Network, located in Chicago, Illinois. WMAQ-TV's main studios and offices are located within the NBC Tower in the Streeterville neighborhood, with an auxiliary street-level studio on the Magnificent Mile at 401...
for two years. In March 1973, he returned to WBBM as an investigative reporter and anchor, co-anchoring the 10 p.m. news for much of the next 16 years with Bill Kurtis
Bill Kurtis
Bill Kurtis is an American television journalist, producer, narrator, and news anchor. He is also the current host of A&E crime and news documentary shows, including Investigative Reports, American Justice, and Cold Case Files...
. Kurtis and Jacobson a legendary anchor team in Chicago and from the mid-1970s to early 1980s the team enjoyed unprecedented ratings dominance. Kurtis left for three years in 1982 to go to CBS News
CBS News
CBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
in New York, and WBBM fell out of first place four years later. Jacobson left for WFLD in 1993 after a dispute with WBBM's management. The station slipped into last place two years later.
Jacobson generated significant controversy while at WBBM from his "Walter Jacobson's Perspective" commentaries, which were delivered live from his own office during the station's 10 p.m. newscasts. The commentaries often criticized government waste and political hypocrisy. In May 1983, Jacobson famously criticized Chicago's mayor at the time, Harold Washington
Harold Washington
Harold Lee Washington was an American lawyer and politician who became the first African-American Mayor of Chicago, serving from 1983 until his death in 1987.- Early years and military service :...
, alleging that Washington used city workers to paint and redecorate his apartment. Washington responded that city personnel were only used for security-related modifications. Months later, Washington called out Jacobson at a television academy luncheon, saying, "Walter, you're the bottom of the barrel."
While at WBBM, Jacobson also became known for his temper. In March 1977, he was suspended with pay for two days for being what his news director labeled a "disruptive element" in the newsroom. "I think arguments are healthy, and I certainly don't think I've been abusive," Jacobson told the Chicago Tribune at the time. In April 1986, Jacobson got into a shouting match with Ken Boles, a WBBM executive news producer, in a bank near WBBM's studios. Boles was fired several weeks later. In February 1988, another shouting match occurred in the middle of the newsroom between Jacobson and an assignment desk editor, regarding the previous evening's newscast. And, in February 1992, Jacobson was reported to have thrown a book at a newsroom staffer's head, causing both him and the staffer to be summoned to the office of the station's general manager. Jacobson later explained to the Tribune that the incident merely was his producer tossing a book over a divider, and Jacobson then "tossing it back." In February 1994—after jumping to WFLD—Jacobson exclaimed, "Oh, fuck you!" to an off-camera director during a live newscast. "I just snapped for an instant," he told the Chicago Sun-Times. "I muttered a swear word under my breath. I exploded. I'm human."
In September 1973, Jacobson was approached by Chicago liberals about running for mayor against Richard J. Daley
Richard J. Daley
Richard Joseph Daley served for 21 years as the mayor and undisputed Democratic boss of Chicago and is considered by historians to be the "last of the big city bosses." He played a major role in the history of the Democratic Party, especially with his support of John F...
, but he turned them down. He was solo anchor of the 5pm news for 10 years (until September 1991) and co-anchor of the 10pm newscast for 16 years, until he was replaced by Linda MacLennan
Linda MacLennan
Linda S. MacLennan Rammelt , known professionally as Linda MacLennan, is a former television news anchor and reporter who spent the majority of her career with WBBM-TV in Chicago, Illinois.- Early life and education :...
in 1989.
On November 13, 2009, Jacobson reunited for one evening with his co-anchor of 20 years earlier, Bill Kurtis
Bill Kurtis
Bill Kurtis is an American television journalist, producer, narrator, and news anchor. He is also the current host of A&E crime and news documentary shows, including Investigative Reports, American Justice, and Cold Case Files...
, to anchor the WBBM 10 PM news in Chicago while the usual anchor, Rob Johnson, was on vacation.
On July 29, 2010 it was annonced that Jacobson and Bill Kurtis
Bill Kurtis
Bill Kurtis is an American television journalist, producer, narrator, and news anchor. He is also the current host of A&E crime and news documentary shows, including Investigative Reports, American Justice, and Cold Case Files...
will anchor the 6 p.m. newscast beginning September 1.
Career at WFLD-TV
Jacobson joined WFLD in 1993 as the station's principal male news anchor, co-anchoring the station's signature 9 p.m. newscast with Robin RobinsonRobin Robinson
Robin Carolle Robinson , known professionally as Robin Robinson, is a longtime Chicago television news anchor who is currently one of the two principal news anchors at WFLD-TV in Chicago...
. At WFLD, Jacobson was the most popular of the station's news personalities, such as Robin Robinson
Robin Robinson
Robin Carolle Robinson , known professionally as Robin Robinson, is a longtime Chicago television news anchor who is currently one of the two principal news anchors at WFLD-TV in Chicago...
, Tamron Hall
Tamron Hall
Tamron Hall is a day-side anchor for MSNBC and host of the program NewsNation with Tamron Hall.-Early career:...
, Byron Harlan, Nancy Pender and Corey McPherrin
Corey McPherrin
Corey B. McPherrin , known professionally as Corey McPherrin, is the morning news anchor for WFLD-TV in Chicago.- Early life and education :...
. Largely because of his influence, WFLD's newscasts have less of a tabloid
Tabloid television
Tabloid television, also known as Teletabloid, is a form of tabloid journalism. Tabloid television newscasts usually incorporate flashy graphics and sensationalized stories.Often, there is a heavy emphasis on crime, stories with good video, and celebrity news...
feel than other FOX stations. However, they are much flashier than the other newscasts in Chicago, especially compared to WBBM during Jacobson's time there.
During much of his career, Walter hosted his own commentary segment entitled “Walter Jacobson in Perspective”. The basic concept revolved around Walter's rants, which usually contained either biting social commentary or attacks on great injustices around the Midwest. Walter was never afraid to 'overstep' his boundaries. At times, he would often go after corrupt City of Chicago officials, or lash out at city workers and police officers that did little or no work. Also, Walter would use his segment to take up for the unempowered, helping fix various city based problems in poor neighborhoods, and helping numerous blue-collar worker
Blue-collar worker
A blue-collar worker is a member of the working class who performs manual labor. Blue-collar work may involve skilled or unskilled, manufacturing, mining, construction, mechanical, maintenance, technical installation and many other types of physical work...
s.
Although Walter achieved success for himself and the city of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, he was often heavily criticized by various traditional and conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
critics. Walter dedicated one of his segments to share hate mail
Hate mail
Hate mail is a form of harassment, usually consisting of invective and potentially intimidating or threatening comments towards the recipient...
he received over his career. Although most of the letters contained powerful and vulgar tones, which criticized Walter for what many saw as ignorance about gun control
Gun control
Gun control is any law, policy, practice, or proposal designed to restrict or limit the possession, production, importation, shipment, sale, and/or use of guns or other firearms by private citizens...
, one letter complimented Walter for his hard work, and Walter thanked the writer.
Jacobson often used his air time to tell Chicagoans humorous, though not necessarily newsworthy, anecdotes. He once used at least ten minutes of air time to explain how as a child he lost his baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
glove at Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
, and how it was recently found and returned to him.
In 1992, Jacobson scored an exclusive interview with serial killer John Wayne Gacy
John Wayne Gacy
John Wayne Gacy, Jr. was an American serial killer, rapist and clown who sexually assaulted and murdered at least 33 teenage boys and young men between 1972 and 1978. Gacy buried 26 of his victims in the crawlspace of his home, buried three others elsewhere on his property, and discarded the...
-- an interview that he called "the biggest scoop of my career." Two years later, Jacobson won a lottery to be one of 12 journalists and onlookers to watch Gacy's execution.
In November 1993, during the key ratings sweeps period, Jacobson showed up on the news wearing a T-shirt, according to a December 19, 1993 article in the Chicago Sun-Times.
During a commentary in January 1995, Jacobson divulged the home telephone number of Illinois Supreme Court
Supreme Court of Illinois
The Supreme Court of Illinois is the state supreme court of Illinois. The court's authority is granted in Article VI of the current Illinois Constitution, which provides for seven justices elected from the five appellate judicial districts of the state: Three justices from the First District and...
Justice James D. Heiple and urged viewers to use the phone number to tell Heiple what they thought of his ruling in the controversial Baby Richard
Baby Richard Case
The Baby Richard case was a highly publicized custody battle that took place over Danny Kirchner, a young child whose adoption was revoked when his biological father, Otakar Kirchner, won custody in a case that was decided in 1995 by the Illinois Supreme Court...
baby custody case. "I wanted people to call him up and bother him until he did the right thing," Jacobson explained. Local newspaper columnists universally denounced the stunt, and a local bar association referred to the act as "journalistic stalking." Jacobson later conceded that he had gone "over the line."
In September 2004, Jacobson was demoted from his role as WFLD-TV's principal male news anchor when the station chose to install Mark Suppelsa
Mark Suppelsa
Mark Eugene Suppelsa is a journalist, who presently works as an anchor an reporter for WGN-TV in Chicago, Illinois. Suppelsa currently serves as the co-anchor of the "WGN Evening News" from 5-6 p.m. with Lourdes Duarte and the station's long-running primetime newscast "WGN News at Nine" with Micah...
in Jacobson's place as WFLD's 9 p.m. news anchor. Jacobson remained at the station, however, hosting a Sunday morning public-affairs talk show and providing his "Perspective" commentaries during the station's 9 p.m. newscasts.
In February 2006, following Vice-President Dick Cheney
Dick Cheney
Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States , under George W. Bush....
's well-publicized hunting mishap
Dick Cheney hunting incident
The Dick Cheney hunting incident occurred on February 11, 2006, when then U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney shot Harry Whittington, a 78-year-old Texas attorney, while participating in a quail hunt on a ranch in Kenedy County, Texas...
, in which he accidentally shot a fellow hunter, Jacobson criticized Cheney for not speaking publicly about the incident. Walter proclaimed in his commentary, "I'm after you, Dick Cheney!" and later "You can't hide in the White House forever, I'll be waiting outside", while flaunting his portable coffee cup at a good moment to show that he would be comfortable and relaxed with a warm drink while outside the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
.
In April 2006, Jacobson announced that he would be leaving WFLD in order to retire, although his departure ultimately was the result of the station choosing not to renew his contract. During every 9pm broadcast before April 30, WFLD aired a special segment to honor Walter and his memorable contributions and accomplishments throughout his career.
Personal life
Jacobson has been married three times. He wed his college sweetheart, Lynn Straus, in 1960. The couple divorced in the 1970s after having two children together, Peter (born March 1965) and Wendy (born July 1963). "God, can you imagine naming kids Peter and Wendy? I'd never even read 'Peter Pan,'" Jacobson told the Chicago Tribune in a profile in 1984.In 1982, Jacobson married Diane Dybsky, a former schoolteacher. They later divorced, after having two daughters, Julia and Genevieve. In March 1995, Jacobson married advertising executive Susan G. "Susie" Jacobson.
Walter Jacobson's son, Peter Jacobson
Peter Jacobson
Peter S. Jacobson is an American film and television actor.-Life and career:Jacobson was born to a Jewish family in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Chicago news anchor Walter Jacobson. He is a graduate of Brown University and Juilliard...
, is an actor who has appeared in the television programs Will and Grace , Law & Order
Law & Order
Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
, and House
House (TV series)
House is an American television medical drama that debuted on the Fox network on November 16, 2004. The show's central character is Dr. Gregory House , an unconventional and misanthropic medical genius who heads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in...
and films like Good Night, and Good Luck, Transformers and Failure to Launch
Failure to Launch
Failure to Launch is a 2006 American romantic comedy film. In the movie a 35-year-old man lives in the home of his parents and shows no interest in leaving the comfortable life his parents, especially his mother, have made for him there.-Plot:...
. Peter Jacobson also has done stage work in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Legal problems
In February 1977, Jacobson failed to make WBBM's 10 p.m. newscast because he was being booked at a police station, charged with making an illegal left turn and driving on a suspended license. A few weeks later, Jacobson was pulled over and charged with driving at night with defective headlights.In a landmark case in media law, Jacobson and WBBM's owner, CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, were found guilty by a federal jury in Chicago in November 1985 of libeling the Brown & Williamson
Brown & Williamson
Brown & Williamson was an American tobacco company and subsidiary of the giant British American Tobacco, that produced several popular cigarette brands. It became infamous as the focus of investigations for chemically enhancing the addictiveness of cigarettes...
tobacco company in a November 1981 expose in which Jacobson accused the cigarette manufacturer of marketing cigarettes to children and teens. The next month, the jury awarded Brown & Williamson $5.1 million, with Jacobson personally liable for $50,000. An appeals court ultimately cut the award to $3 million, but let Jacobson's share stand. "I feel some outrage, some fury as well as disappointment. I am outraged at the cigarette industry for trying to intimidate the press. I don`t feel intimidated," Jacobson told the Chicago Tribune in an article that appeared on December 6, 1985.
In September 1997, Jacobson was arrested and charged with grabbing a restaurant owner in Chicago's Humboldt Park
Humboldt Park, Chicago
Humboldt Park is one of 77 officially designated community areas located on the northwest side of Chicago, Illinois. The Humboldt Park neighborhood is widely known for its large Puerto Rican presence...
neighborhood who wouldn't answer his questions about homeless people interfering with businesses in the neighborhood. Jacobson ultimately was acquitted of misdemeanor battery, trespass and disorderly conduct charges a few months later.
In May 2004, Jacobson was arrested in Chicago's Lincoln Park
Lincoln Park, Chicago
Lincoln Park, is one of the 77 community areas on Chicago, Illinois North Side, USA. Named after Lincoln Park, a vast park bordering Lake Michigan, the community area is anchored by the Lincoln Park Zoo and DePaul University...
neighborhood and charged with driving under the influence, running a stop sign, invalid registration and obstructing traffic after he allegedly double-parked his 2004 Saab outside a Lincoln Park pizzeria and was seen by police "stumbling" out of the shop. Jacobson reportedly was advised by an officer not to drive his car pending a sobriety test, but he went ahead and did so anyway, and after several blocks was pulled over by officers. Jacobson ultimately passed the Breathalyzer test, and the DUI charge was dropped, just four days before his induction into the Chicago Journalism Hall of Fame. Jacobson ultimately pleaded guilty to negligent driving, obstruction of traffic and running a stop sign, and he was sentenced to four months' supervision and was fined $450. He also agreed to undergo evaluation of his use of alcohol. After the incident, Jacobson responded—with his Perspective commentary—on Fox News, claiming he was pulled over by an unmarked car full of people in baseball cap
Baseball cap
A baseball cap is a type of soft cap with a rounded stiff brim. The front of the cap typically contains designs or logos of sports teams ,...
s, not policemen. He later went on to say that he was "mishandled" by the police. http://www.nbc5.com/news/3283456/detail.html
On June 18, 2008, Jacobson was arrested near his home in Chicago's Lincoln Park
Lincoln Park, Chicago
Lincoln Park, is one of the 77 community areas on Chicago, Illinois North Side, USA. Named after Lincoln Park, a vast park bordering Lake Michigan, the community area is anchored by the Lincoln Park Zoo and DePaul University...
neighborhood for DUI charges after failing a field sobriety and Breathalyzer test. The charges are pending. Image 49. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-mug-photogallery,0,5488047.photogallery
Injuries
In late January 1993, Jacobson needed stitches from the emergency room at Northwestern Memorial HospitalNorthwestern Memorial Hospital
Northwestern Memorial Hospital is one of the nation's preeminent academic medical centers and is the primary teaching hospital for Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. It is the second tallest hospital in the United States and the fourth tallest hospital in the world...
after a fall during a late-night visit to the China Club nightclub in Chicago, where he was watching the Village People
Village People
Village People is a concept disco group that formed in the United States in 1977, well known for their on-stage costumes depicting American cultural stereotypes, as well as their catchy tunes and suggestive lyrics....
perform, according to a February 8, 1993 article in the Chicago Sun-Times.
In January 1995, while disguised as a homeless man for a February sweeps piece, Jacobson tripped on a concrete pillar and fell flat on his face, getting cuts and bruises on his chin and under one eye, according to a January 31, 1995 article in the Chicago Sun-Times. "I saw stars for a minute or two," Jacobson told the paper.
In November 2002, Jacobson slipped on a pumpkin on his front steps and fractured several ribs, according to a November 7, 2002 article in the Chicago Sun-Times.
Acting career
Jacobson made a cameo appearance as himself in 1990 in CBSCBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
' short-lived sitcom, Uncle Buck, which was based on the movie of the same name. The episode aired on October 1, 1990.
Awards
Jacobson has received several prestigious awards for his commentary, anchoring, and reporting skills. The Chicago Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and SciencesNational Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences or NATAS was created in 1955 to advance the arts and sciences of television. Headquartered in New York, NATAS's membership is national and the organization has local chapters around the country....
recognized his commentaries with Emmy Awards. In fact, Jacobson won Chicago Emmy awards for 10 straight years—1974 until 1983—for his commentaries. In 1985, a Washington Journalism Review poll named Jacobson best local anchor in the United States. In 1988, he received his fifth Peter Lisagor
Peter Lisagor
Peter Lisagor was Washington bureau chief of the Chicago Daily News from 1959 to 1976 and was one of the most respected and best-known journalists in the United States...
Award, his third for "best commentary." During the 1980s, the duPont-Columbia judges honored him twice for his work at WBBM-TV
WBBM-TV
WBBM-TV, virtual channel 2 , is the CBS owned-and-operated television station in Chicago, Illinois. WBBM-TV's main studios and offices are located in The Loop section of Chicago, as part of the development at Block 37, and its transmitter is atop the Willis Tower.-History:WBBM-TV traces its history...
-- once for his commentaries and once for best local election coverage in the United States. Jacobson's notable WBBM-TV
WBBM-TV
WBBM-TV, virtual channel 2 , is the CBS owned-and-operated television station in Chicago, Illinois. WBBM-TV's main studios and offices are located in The Loop section of Chicago, as part of the development at Block 37, and its transmitter is atop the Willis Tower.-History:WBBM-TV traces its history...
specials and programs included the Emmy Award-winning Walter Jacobson's Journal: China and Studebaker: Less Than They Promised, which received a Peabody Award
Peabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards recognize distinguished and meritorious public service by radio and television stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals. In 1939, the National Association of Broadcasters formed a committee to recognize outstanding achievement in radio broadcasting...
.
Jacobson's most infamous news story occurred at WBBM-TV in February 1991, just two years before he switched to WFLD-TV. Wearing a fake beard, Jacobson dressed up as a homeless person and lived on the streets of Chicago for 48 hours, visiting Lower Wacker Drive, Clarendon Park, the corner of Halsted and Addison Streets, and the corner across the street from the Lincoln Park
Lincoln Park, Chicago
Lincoln Park, is one of the 77 community areas on Chicago, Illinois North Side, USA. Named after Lincoln Park, a vast park bordering Lake Michigan, the community area is anchored by the Lincoln Park Zoo and DePaul University...
townhouse of his former anchor partner, Bill Kurtis
Bill Kurtis
Bill Kurtis is an American television journalist, producer, narrator, and news anchor. He is also the current host of A&E crime and news documentary shows, including Investigative Reports, American Justice, and Cold Case Files...
. He had a hidden camera and recorded what he experienced in a series he dubbed "Mean Street Diary." Critics at the city's newspapers roundly mocked Jacobson for the stunt. "It was amazing that he was able to transform an issue of such inherent sorrow and desperation into something that could yield so many moments of great, if unintended, humor," wrote Rick Kogan
Rick Kogan
Rick Kogan is a Chicago newspaperman, a Chicago radio personality and a noted author.- Early life and education :A native of Chicago's Old Town neighborhood, Kogan was born the son of longtime Chicago newspaperman Herman Kogan and longtime Chicago literary and journalism fixture Marilew Kogan...
in the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
.
In January 1995 at WFLD, Jacobson reprised his role as a homeless man for the hidden cameras.
Producers
Throughout his career, Jacobson employed many producers who went on to have successful journalism or media careers in their own right. These include:- Joe Kolina (now senior executive producer at WMAQ-TVWMAQ-TVWMAQ-TV, channel 5, is an owned-and-operated television station of the NBC Television Network, located in Chicago, Illinois. WMAQ-TV's main studios and offices are located within the NBC Tower in the Streeterville neighborhood, with an auxiliary street-level studio on the Magnificent Mile at 401...
) - Joseph Novak
- Michael Radutzky (later became producer for Ed BradleyEd BradleyEdward Rudolph "Ed" Bradley, Jr. was an American journalist, best known for twenty-six years of award-winning work on the CBS News television program 60 Minutes...
at 60 Minutes60 Minutes60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
) - John Rooney
- Kevin McGee
- John EisendrathJohn EisendrathJohn Eisendrath is a television series producer and writer. He produced the show on FOX called K-ville , and is currently writing Hitmen. He is a father of four, and lives in LA.-Writer:* "WIOU" TV series- Creator* Playmakers TV Series...
(now a TV show creator) - Roe ConnRoe ConnRoe B. Conn is an American talk radio host of The Roe Conn Show with Richard Roeper, which airs on WLS-AM 890 in Chicago live from 2 to 6 p.m. , Monday through Friday. Three hours of the radio show are also simulcast on NBC Chicago Digital 5.2 television between 3 and 6 p.m. weekdays...
(now a highly rated talk show host for Chicago's WLS-AM) - Jim Edwards (now a radio host using the pseudonym Jake HartfordJake HartfordJake Hartford , is a talk radio host whose show airs from 5 to 8 A.M. Saturdays on WLS-AM 890. Hartford had been a host from 1991 to 2008 at WLS-AM, but moved his show to WCPT-AM from 2008 to 2010 after being laid off...
) - Michael Harvey (now a documentary producer who has worked for the production company owned by Bill KurtisBill KurtisBill Kurtis is an American television journalist, producer, narrator, and news anchor. He is also the current host of A&E crime and news documentary shows, including Investigative Reports, American Justice, and Cold Case Files...
) - Phil Hayes (later an on-air reporter at WFLD-TV)
- Jason Kravarik (now a TV news reporter)