39th Street, Manhattan
"Uh – Why me?"
"You're not the only applicant, Peter. Right now, you're not even an applicant; I don't even know if you want the job or not. Do you?"
He made up his mind and answered. "I am not against it, but I would like some clarification. First, what exactly would I be writing about? Science is too broad of a topic. And how many articles would I have to write? What would the editorial standards be like?"
"Anything science-related, that you feel teenagers would be invested in. 3 per week, 2 if they are especially long. And you don't have to write them – videos are fine as well. Editorial standards will be up to the editor in question – but as long as you get your facts right, it shouldn't pose a problem."
Peter thought about it. "You're basically paying me to run a blog? Is that it?" No, that couldn't be it. What was he missing? "How's that going to work?"
"Well, as I have said before -"
"No, wait I think I understand. You're not after science or news, you want... to launch a star, like the guys from youtube or instagram. So why not hire one of them?" He pondered. "Ah, you said you want to keep it in-house. They wouldn't have agreed… and I am guessing the pay doesn't scale with views, either?"
Robbie had the decency to look discomfited. "You haven't even done anything yet."
"Oh no, I'm not criticizing. The plan's a bit radical… but why not? The age for stardom gets lower every year. You have teenage actors, singers, dancers, even activists, sort of, I suppose. Wait – is that where you got the idea?"
"Can't speak for the publishers, I'm afraid." Robbie deflected. "But you like the idea?"
"It's new and innovative, and as such, pretty appealing," Peter admitted. "You won't get me to say yes that easily though; I like to really think over my decisions."
"Alright... But if you do accept, how would you go about it?"
"Hmm…let me think." Peter leaned back in his chair. "Right off the bat, I would say, no misrepresentation of basic scientific truths, no credibility for any conspiracy theories. No debates, no interviews – nothing except debunking such crap. Would that be a deal-breaker for you?"
"Why would that be a deal-breaker?"
He shrugged as if to say the answer was obvious. "Because it's the Bugle. Sensationalism is your bread and butter, controversy is how you earn your money, and I'm cutting all that off."
"Peter, we're already changing. And I know tabloids have a… reputation, but the Bugle isn't what you think it is. In fact, in 1991 –"
"I know what happened in 1991." Peter interrupted him. "And I know what happened in 2004. I know who you are, Mr. Joseph Robertson. I have seen your photo and read your articles. I know that the founder of the Daily Bugle, William Jameson, championed for Harry McAlpin's inclusion in the White House Press Corps. The Bugle has always shown a rare progressive streak where racial inequality is concerned. I know that fact.
"But you're the same when the rest is concerned. The demonization of gays and HIV patients, the victim-blaming of mentally-ill people, and the constant celebrity worship – the Bugle's done that all.
"I don't particularly blame you. Times were different, and tabloids are always reflective of our trashiest population – and the Bugle's changed now. But you don't get to hold any moral superiority over other publications. The Bugle's trash, just a bit cleaner than the rest."
"Oh." Robbie intonated after a while. "I did not…I'm sorry.." He searched for words, but nothing came out.
"No, I'm sorry." Peter apologized. "I got a bit carried away."
The two sat in the monochrome office, listening to the soft hum of the air conditioner.
"You're right, of course," Robbie said. "For all the good that the Bugle's done, we're no better than the others. " He let out a long-suffering sigh. "And you're right, I was the editor for a few of those…atrocious articles. Demonization. I think you've hit the nail with that word. Back then, they used to try to paint us all with the same brush – blacks were gays, were communists, were un-American, and were evil. And as an angry young man, I wanted the world to see us for ourselves, without all the hateful stereotypes. But I was wrong… and it was prejudicial." He wavered for a moment. "Thank you, Peter."
"Uh… we've diverged a bit from the topic, haven't we?"
"No, I think I have a pretty good of what I wanted to know." He answered. "Let's go over details."
******
THE BUGLE JOB:
Working at the Bugle will pay 60 every event. The contract will last for 6 months (Narratively, QM fiat) at the end of which will be a review, determining the next phase. If Peter is unpopular or unproductive, he will be transitioned to strictly interning around, or shown the door.
He has to present a minimum of 12 articles per month, either spoken/written/acted on a format agreed by both him and the editor in charge of him. (Given his oratory, Robbie strongly urges on videos.) Other charges include helping around the office for 8 hours a week (in which you get to learn the ropes of reporting) – checking articles, sitting in on meetings, and working for the Teen site. Press pass for science events, or accompanying actual reporters can also be given depending on performance.
Given that he won the conflict, Peter has 4 favor points that he can cash in if he chooses this job. (If points are unspent, they work towards improving relations with Robbie).
[] Increase income by 20. (1 FP, can be taken multiple times)
[] Reduce number of articles to 9. (1 FP)
[] Get a press pass, and reporter privileges (2 FP)
[] Make hours even more flexible. (2 FP, Bugle's never appears in clashes)
[] Get an advance. (3 FP, +3D100 MONEY)
And the decision.
- [] I would like to work here.
- [] FP Spend Plan
- [] I would like to think about it some more. (Refusal)
*********
