A journalist story in Vegas

A journalist in Vegas is particular with the hand he's/she's been dealt. He/she heads up to Vegas with a preferential and an ecstatic attitude on where to gamble in - the same preferential, ecstatic attitude he/she carries when covering stories. So, in this case, an old columnist hates craps and so is blackjack because, he reasons out, his fingers (and toes) aren't enough for a 21. Another, an upbeat sports writer, hates slots because it's not a challenging game. On the other hand, a woman columnist, a feminist, loves to play poker because it has drama, suspense and a little bit vindication against men.

But they would all agree what attracts them to Vegas are the food, the glitz and the wealth of good stories. Aside from gambling stories, there have been the fabulous Elvis auctions, anthrax scares, pimps and prostitutes. They are all quite pleased about living in the buffet capital of the world. Where else can you work a beat with a huge volcano, huge lions and battling pirates? Actually, this is the question journalists want to take a stab at.

Media bureaus want to build offices in Nevada. But they're not there for the gambling. They want the stories that would cover all of the fantastic desert state - from Carson City in the west to Ely in the east to Las Vegas in the south, to the sprawling San Bernardino and Silver State, we'll explore what has become the gambling paradise of the world. In Vegas alone, there is a wealth of stories to be uncovered, and there is a great Nevada spirit that has its own definition and caliber.

Why an office bureau? Respected news agencies want to get rid of parachute journalism by sticking a reporter on the beat full time. And it is undeniable that most Americans today have growing fascination with Las Vegas and Nevada. The media wants to keep pace on that.

But competitions between news agencies are building up. For example, San Diego Times' National Edition and Times Metropolitan are expanding its distribution of papers and beat reporters to Las Vegas. While Las Vegas Review Journal, listed as larger than the two recently-installed Las Vegas papers, are racing to cover all the big stories before any other media does. That would be a shame if that ever happens. But the overall impact of numerous media in Vegas is that it would prompt every reporter, gambler, and even legislators to be on their toes.

Nevada's going to be a war zone then, well, in glitzy kind of way.