bY MYers i N N e d s
ILLUSTRATION BY BRIAN BRENEMAN
On
August 18, a reporter asked U.S. Sen. Harry Reid about Question 3, placed on the ballot by citizen signatures to create a business tax. The reporter mentioned Tesla as one corporation that might be affected. Reid perked up, focusing on Tesla instead of the actual question. “Well, I wouldn’t start counting the jobs in Tesla right now, anyway, so—we’ll see,” Reid said. “I’m not sure they’re not playing us for a—.” He did not finish the sentence, halting as though he thought he was going too far. “I appreciate very much the governor’s keeping me informed of what’s been going on with Tesla,” he continued after a long moment’s thought. “He’s tried very, very hard, and I’ve told him and I’m telling each of you I support what he’s done. We’ve done things to help with the passage for Tesla. We’ll have to wait and see, but I’m not going to start counting the jobs until it happens.” The jobs at stake are no small prize. The battery plant—some reporters obediently use Tesla’s PR term “gigafactory”—may employ up OPINION
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NEWS
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GREEN
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FEATURE STORY
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to 6,500 people. From five state semi-finalists, at the Tesla site had suddenly been laid off, as the corporation chose a site in Storey County, rumored. On July 30, KOLO ran an Ed Pearce Nevada, though the legislature must still consent story confirming, on the say-so of several of the and approve the payoff in abatements and workers themselves, that they had been laid off incentives. from work at the Tesla site. However incautious Reid was being, he was Pearce is an exception, though. Most local (almost) telling local residents something they news coverage of Tesla has an upbeat spin weren’t getting from putting both Nevada other local sources. and Tesla in the best That is helpful to his possible light. When constituents, because word got out that a dirt there is a version of pad had been created reality that doesn’t at the Tesla site in make it into the Storey County, it was Truckee Meadows first reported locally. because of news Carefully ignoring coverage laced with the sudden end to the PR and boosterism— pad work, it was spun M ark Gle n n to mean Nevada had though a few reporters, Nevada busiNess leader taken the lead. From notably Ed Pearce of KOLO, have been there it went national skilled at cutting through the rose-colored fog. by wire service, the original spin intact. For instance, on July 25, KRNV ran a Van But outside the state, the abruptness of the Tieu story denying, on the say-so of Storey worker layoffs in Storey County made some County developer Lance Gilman, that workers analysts believe that Tesla was taking a new
ARTS&CULTURE
“ I thInk It’s whOlly
InapprOprIate what we
gIve Out In subsIdIes fOr cOrpOratIOns.”
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ART OF THE STATE
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FOODFINDS
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FILM
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MUSICBEAT
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NIGHTCLUBS/CASINOS
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THIS WEEK
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look at California and had called off the work in the Silver State for the time being to focus on the Golden State, an interpretation that went untouched in Nevada journalism but turned out to be true. Tesla then spent weeks looking at California. The Reno Gazette-Journal awarded the factory to Nevada on Aug. 1, using just enough weasel words to hang by its fingernails in case the decision went the other way: “Reno area has Tesla gigafactory—but can we keep it?” By contrast, the transportation industry website Long Tail Pipe reported, under the headline “Gigafactory says goodbye to Reno, California has closed the gap.” This happened time and again as the Tesla story unfolded, Tesla developments inside the state being cleaned up for positive presentation to the Nevada public while outside they were reported more realistically. When a deal between Panasonic and Tesla to join together on the
“ S H a k e D OW n” continued on page 14
MISCELLANY
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SEPTEMBER 11, 2014
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RN&R
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