Visiting Tabish and evaluating a ‘crash’

Tackling two, one at a time:

■ Sprung from the pokey last May, Binion trial star Rick Tabish granted an exclusive interview to Heidi Hayes of KVVU-TV, Channel 5 last week.

Convicted in 2000 with ex-lover Sandy Murphy of murdering gambling executive Ted Binion in 1998, then acquitted in a 2004 retrial after the convictions were overturned by the Nevada Supreme Court -- but nailed for other Binion-related crimes -- Tabish spoke to Hayes in Montana, where he was ordered to shack up with his folks as a parole condition.

Teasing to the story the previous night, Fox-5 anchor John Huck expressed excitement over the script he'd snuck a peek at, and yet ...

"Coup" and "letdown" describe the results. Possibly hindered by time (Hayes co-anchors two hours each weekday morning), what we saw was a man who made a cursory nod to his guilt -- "felony stupidity," he called it, as if trying to swipe a fortune in silver and extortion amounted to an "oops" -- in a garden-variety "he's rebuilding his life" feature. (We even went driving around with Rick. Oh, and he's in touch with now-married Murphy.)

Never did we feel Tabish had examined his soul over a sensational murder trial that made national headlines or that there was any serious probing by Hayes. Tellingly, it was Huck who asked Hayes what we wish Hayes had asked Tabish, namely the O.J. question: What's his reaction to some people thinking he got away with murder? (Hayes' response: Jurors had all the facts, we didn't, they made their decision, that's that.)

More time invested -- perhaps a series of interviews over several nights -- might have made the difference between just getting the interview and getting something compelling out of the interviewee.

■ Coverage of Monday's collision between a car and a school bus (with minor injuries to some children) near Bailey Elementary School was a case when use of a word that adds oomph should be subtracted. That word? "Crash," used by Fox-5 and KTNV-TV, Channel 13.

Collisions qualify as crashes by the dictionary definition, but "crash" conjures images of a vehicle hurtling down a ravine or tumbling off a road into a twisted wreck. Spectacular special effects in movies and television shows have significantly contributed to our immediate reaction to that word. "Accident" was the better -- but less sexy -- term.

Even in the fleeting, fast-moving world of TV news -- where words are ephemeral -- they still matter, still have impact, still possess the power to cause panic.

Predictably, it was Channel 13 that left the most room for that panic in describing injury reports that were still unclear.

While KLAS-TV, Channel 8 characterized them as "anxiety-related," KSNV-TV, Channel 3 went with "minor bumps and bruises" and Fox-5 opted for "minor injuries," Channel 13 slapped on the blunt graphic, "School Bus Crash: Several Kids Hurt." Oddly, while using "crash," they then explained that police called it "a minor fender bender." Come again?

"Crash" and "accident" -- there's a gulf between them, especially in stories involving possible harm to children. One is technically accurate, the other is emotionally true. Generating fear is the difference. That's something TV news does well.

That's something TV news should quell.

Contact reporter Steve Bornfeld at sbornfeld@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0256.