Anice young woman called the other day offering the chance to speak with talk show host Rob Nelson, who had obtained, she confided, an exclusive interview with the cousin of the older defendant in the sniper shootings. The exchange would be the first sit-down interview with Edward Holiday, a one-time confidant of John Allen Muhammad, she promised.

Except it was not the first interview, nor, for that matter, even the first one sitting down. Among those media outlets that had spoken with the none-too-reclusive Holiday: The New York Times, The Sun, The Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, the Los Angeles Times, a batch of Louisiana papers, NBC News' Today show and CBS News' Early Show.

So much for that "first." One could argue it was exclusive only because no actual journalists were in the room at the time.

Real news outlets can get tangled in the same kind of hyperbole. They could do a better job of protecting their credibility, too. The latest illustration comes courtesy of WBAL-TV, which seems intent on turning anchor Jeff Pegues into the Latest American Action Hero.

A week ago today, Pegues was the lead reporter on a series of stories on carjackings scattered throughout the station's various newscasts at 5:30 p.m., 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. Here's how anchor Marianne Banister introduced the 11 p.m. version:

"Do you live in the suburbs or in the city? Now, according to the latest FBI statistics, carjackings are more likely to happen in urban areas. But we learned they're also on the rise in some suburban areas as well."

Tuck away that "also" and that "as well" for a few moments.

In the more than 3-minute story that followed, Pegues played the part of a driver in a re-enactment of how a carjacking might occur. He offered tips, telling viewers to keep their cars locked, to remain aware in darkened parking lots, but not to resist if someone demands their keys.

This was all offered as useful information to ward off a growing problem. But Pegues never delivered any foundation for that suggestion, instead directing people to check on the station's Web site.

In fact, as Pegues only briefly acknowledged earlier in the evening, carjackings have dropped significantly in Baltimore City. According to WBAL-TV's own figures, carjackings appear poised to fall by about 40 percent from last year, and by 30 percent over the past three years. And the suburbs?

In Baltimore County, there had been a rise to 72 in 2001 from 48 in 1999, and in Anne Arundel County, carjackings nearly doubled in that same stretch, although that meant 20 incidents last year. There were no figures offered for either county this year. So far in 2002, Howard County suffered a whopping 25 percent increase, and the year's not even over yet - but that reflects a rise from eight carjackings last year to 10 this year. Harford County, which experienced three in 2001, has endured two in 2002.

It's a mixed picture, which may indicate conflicting trends or anomalies. But WBAL-TV news director Margaret Cronan says a focus on specific figures distracts from the larger purpose of the story, which was to inform viewers of steps they can take to protect themselves. She points to a series of high-profile carjackings over the past year, including separate incidents that led to the killings of a Glen Burnie pharmacist and an Annapolis entrepreneur. These are serious matters of public concern, she says.

"People worry about crime that is more likely to affect them, especially suburban folks," Cronan says. "That's why we're doing the story."

She also argues that the station's high-adrenaline approach was warranted. "Compelling television is what viewers like to watch," Cronan says. "To me, there's nothing wrong with [having] a reporter give people extremely valuable information. ... Why not use Jeff?"

Pegues last caught the public eye this past summer when he took the plunge to show what to do if your car becomes submerged, without informing viewers how common such a scenario was. WBAL revisited the story - broadcasting it a second time, but with statistics - after this column pointed out that such incidents were relatively rare to begin with and becoming less frequent.

This time, WBAL came armed with data, although the station did not share them with viewers during its broadcast. In fact, those very facts could have led the reporters in a different direction: What went right in the city?

Who knows? Not the viewers of WBAL that night, who were left instead with the persistent image of Pegues as a wind-'em-up action toy and a lurking anxiety about the possibility of carjacking. Whatever Pegues was doing, it wasn't news.

Comings and goings

This fall has seen noteworthy comings and goings at the city's news stations:

At WBAL-TV, weekend sports anchor Chris Ely has been dropped in favor of Sarah Caldwell. Caldwell, 28, was formerly a sports reporter and anchor for the Fox station in Philadelphia. WBAL made the move after converting Ely's slot into a full-time position that includes reporting.

"We had, honestly, several hundred applicants," WBAL's Cronan says. "Sarah just really popped out."

Ely, 54, says he was disappointed with the station's decision because he enjoyed the job so much. He had been hired by WJZ-TV in 1988 after winning a contest to do the job for a day and stayed there until his dismissal in 1999. "I never thought I was that good," says Ely, a retired monitor for the state Juvenile Justice system. "I was lucky. But what I do is, I work really hard."

At WJZ-TV, reporters Derek Valcourt and Gigi Barnett have arrived to help a crew stretched by the addition of a 4 p.m. newscast. Valcourt was last at the NBC station in Huntsville, Ala., while Barnett worked at the NBC affiliate in Mobile, Ala.

WMAR-TV anchor and reporter Valarie Williams left Baltimore for Texas, where she will join her husband in Dallas. And WBFF-TV dispensed with the services of weekend weather forecaster MaryEllen Pann, who has returned to her old job at the Fox station in Harrisburg, Pa. WBFF is now relying upon forecaster Elizabeth Hart, who works from the station's parent company headquarters in Baltimore County to serve many sister stations.

Questions? Comments? Story ideas? David Folkenflik can be reached by e-mail at david.folkenflik@baltsun.com or by phone at 410-332-6923.