Charles Jaco

{{short description|American journalist}}

{{Infobox person

|name = Charles Jaco

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|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1950|08|21}}

|birth_place = Poplar Bluff, Missouri, USA

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|education = University of Chicago (1973)
Columbia University (M.S., 1976)

|occupation = Journalist; writer; commentator

|employer = WXRT, NBC Radio, CNN; KMOX, KTVI, KTRS, St. Louis American

|organization =

|known_for = The Jaco Report

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Charles Jaco (born August 21, 1950) is an American journalist and author, best known for his coverage of Iraq's invasion of Kuwait and the ensuing Gulf War. Jaco was born in Poplar Bluff, Missouri.

He graduated from the University of Chicago in 1973 and earned a master's degree from Columbia University in 1976.{{cite web|url=http://www.fox2now.com/about/station/newsteam/ktvi-charlesjaco-825561,0,6413540.story|title=Charles Jaco|publisher=Fox2 St. Louis|date=September 14, 2006|accessdate=January 20, 2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100204133854/http://www.fox2now.com/about/station/newsteam/ktvi-charlesjaco-825561%2C0%2C6413540.story|archivedate=February 4, 2010}} In 1976, he began his broadcast career with WXRT radio in Chicago, Illinois.

He worked for NBC Radio (identified on air as "C.D. Jaco") from 1979 until 1988. In 1987, he was badly beaten by the security forces of Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega.{{cite news|title=Jaco Goes Home to Talk Radio|work=Chicago Sun-Times|date=April 20, 1995|first=Jim|last=Salter}} In late 1988, he became a correspondent for CNN. In 1989, while covering allegations of electoral fraud by the Panamanian government, Jaco was visited by vigilantes of Noriega. He fled the country with the aid of the U.S. military.{{cite book|last1=Shanor|first1=Donald|title=News From Abroad|date=2003|isbn=0-231-12240-3|page=120|publisher=Columbia University Press |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=azqAK6UKKx8C&q=charle+jaco+panama&pg=PA120|accessdate=7 January 2016}} While covering the Gulf War for CNN in 1991, he proposed to fellow CNN correspondent Pat Neal.{{cite news|title=UNEXPECTED FAME FOR ARTHUR KENT AND CHARLES JACO The News Guys on the Block|work=Newsday|first=Ben|last=Kubasik|date=April 3, 1991|page=55}} He left CNN in 1994 and joined KMOX.

He authored Dead Air, a novel about the Gulf War, and Live Shot, a novel set in Cuba. In 2002, he authored The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Gulf War, and in 2003 co-authored The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Politics of Oil. In 2003 he became a reporter and anchor for KTVI television in St. Louis, Missouri, while hosting the station's The Jaco Report. In 2009, he began work at the radio station KTRS 550, doing a daily morning talk show, also titled The Jaco Report. In February 2010 Jaco allegedly bumped into conservative blogger Adam Sharp. Based on Sharp's video of the encounter, the city prosecutor declined to pursue charges against Jaco.{{cite news|last1=Garrison|first1=Chad|title=Charges Dropped Against Charles Jaco Following Dust Up with 'Tea Bagger'|url=http://www.riverfronttimes.com/newsblog/2010/03/03/charges-dropped-against-charles-jaco-following-dust-up-with-tea-bagger|accessdate=7 January 2016|date=3 March 2010|quote="Based on the 'evidence' presented, I saw no basis for proceeding with the charge"|archive-date=9 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160109235850/http://www.riverfronttimes.com/newsblog/2010/03/03/charges-dropped-against-charles-jaco-following-dust-up-with-tea-bagger|url-status=dead}}

In October 2010, Jaco was replaced by J.C. Corcoran at KTRS.{{cite news|last1=Garrison|first1=Chad|title=Used Condoms Can't Keep Charles Jaco Off Air, but KTRS Can; Jaco Replaced by JC Corcoran|url=https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=charles+jaco+ktrs|accessdate=7 January 2016|work=The Riverfront Times|date=6 October 2010}} In August 2012 Jaco interviewed then U.S. Representative and senatorial candidate Todd Akin on The Jaco Report in which Akin controversially claimed that women rarely become pregnant from "legitimate rape."{{cite news|last1=Hoyt|first1=Mike|title=Backstory: the reporter who interviewed Akin|url=https://www.cjr.org/united_states_project/back_story_the_reporter_who_in.php|accessdate=7 January 2016|work=Columbia Journalism Review|date=23 August 2012}} Jaco left KTVI in 2014.{{cite news|last1=Currier|first1=Joel|title=KTVI's Charles Jaco leaving the news station|url=http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/ktvi-s-charles-jaco-leaving-the-news-station/article_f231c3b3-1624-5c3a-bb94-21230859ef86.html|accessdate=7 January 2016|work=St. Louis Post Dispatch|date=28 February 2016}} Jaco writes regular columns for the St. Louis American.[http://www.stlamerican.com/news/columnists/charles_jaco/ Columnist Charles Jaco at the St. Louis American]