Everyone give a warm welcome
to the students of Derrysburg High School.
Future of journalism, meet present of journalism.
You can ask them anything you want.
Don't be shy, guys.
You do not need to be intimidated by us.
We're here to help you, alright?
No question is too stupid.
Do you think an over-reliance on anonymous sources
damages public trust?
That's an amazing question. And it's very curious.
Who wants to take this one?
I feel like I'm monopolising the conversation.
OK, personally, I have never found the need
to use anonymous sources in either of my articles, so...
- You've only written two? - But she's only starting out, so...
- Yeah. - Yeah... but I'm a freshman, and I've written 30.
- God damn. - Well, B-Barry over there, he's written thousands.
Is this your family?
Davey, you had something else, didn't you?
What are your rules on asking leading questions?
Oh, I'll take this one.
The great thing about journalism, we have no rules.
Yes, we do. Um... Those are really tempting.
Instead of saying something like,
"You were outraged by his behaviour, weren't you?"
It'd be better to say something like,
"Did you have a strong emotion? Yes or no?"
Well, Mrs Hanks taught us that we shouldn't ask yes or no questions
because it discourages someone from elaborating.
Yes.
OK! If there are no more questions, I think we can head into-
Is there, like, a way we could come to your guys's school
and shadow you for a bit?
What does it cost to run Truth Teller every year?
Oh, I don't know, the monthly budget is...
about a half a million dollars? - Whoa. - Pretty cool, right?
How do you expect you can survive with so much waste?
I don't think there's all that much waste.
- Hey. - Yeah?
Travis says that a byline is
a reporter's name at the beginning of an article,
but isn't a byline, like, the article's very last line?
It's like, "Bye"?
- Uh... - Uh... Don't...
- Sorry... - Don't write that down.
- You guys all go to Derrysburg, right? - Yeah.
- I graduated there in 2012. - Mm. - I have a girlfriend.
That's good... Um...
so is there anything big happening at the school?
The music teacher's retiring after, like, 30 years.
Oh, Mister "K"? He's retiring?
They're having a whole send-off thing for him.
- He's directing one last show at the school. - Wow.
He's a pretty big deal in Toledo. He went to Juilliard.
Fancy. What's the show?
It's a gender-swapped "Mean Girls" called "Mean Boys".
- Fun. - Yeah.
Sure... I remember Mister K.
Remember a lot of my high school teachers.
Do you ever worry about outlets like SoWesley
that basically do the same job as Truth Teller but have no expenses?
- SoWesley? - Wesley Holzwanger?
He runs the local news blog in Lucas County?
It's the most popular one.
- And he- - I don't care.
Well, he's in the grade above me, and he has 300,000 subscribers.
- Did you say three hundred or three thousand? - Oh...
three "hundred" thousand.
Good god.
And he's the only employee, so...
Our budget is still carrying pensions from typesetters
who retired in 1991 who keep... living.
And this kid just hits "publish" for free, and it's not even good.
Oh, look at this...
Are you sure you mean 'inflammable',
SoWesley, and not 'flammable'?
I mean, it's only the exact opposite meaning!
"Ever heard of proofreading?
Maybe you should've been in the journalism class
at The Truth Teller this morning. Winky face."
Hey.
- Hey. - Got a sec? - Absolutely. Come on in.
Uh... Oscar and I were talking,
and we thought we could head down to the high school.
I really don't think we have all that much to learn from them.
No. - We were just gonna, uh... cover some stories.
There's a theatre teacher that's, uh...
I dunno, everybody loves him and, uh... it's his last big show.
- Figured I could write a feature on him. - And I could review the play.
Just because I'm writing for The Paper
doesn't mean I want to be a part of this documentary.
I don't.
And I realise that sitting here talking to you, uh...
may send a... a confused message.
So, let me be ultra-clear:
the only reason I am doing this is to promote my art and leisure beat.
I think you should do that. Go and cover a high school...
better than a high school kid can.
- OK. - Mm-hm. Mare, you source the bejesus out of everything.
Oscar, don't hold back. Unleash your full lexicon.
This isn't the baby blog news-hour. Let's show 'em how it's done!
You got it, boss.
What?
- What is it? - Ah, you haven't seen it?
No. What is it? What is it?
"Truth Teller punches down. Editor-in-Chief cyber-bullies..."
"..minor."
- Allora... - Shit. - Um...
- A bully is the worst thing you can be. - I...
Like, this is really humiliating... ..for you, right?
Oh, in case you didn't know. In case you didn't know.
No, I know that. But this is stupid.
Yeah, but it gets better. I mean, it get worse.
- Like, keep scrolling down till... - Yeah.
Yes.
No, no, it's... it's fine.
But look at your eyes. Scary like a goat.
That's not a fair description.
I've got perfectly human eyes.
Deary me, Ned. What've you done, mate?
"In a pathetic attempt to claw back relevance,
Ned Sampson, Editor-in-Chief, and supposed grown man,
decided to verbally assault me in the comments of this blog.
But what's worse is that he used this emoji..."
- This is just some punk kid. - I'll have you know
that Wesley Holzwanger does have some influence in this town.
Unlike you, pal. I think you need to apologise.
That's not gonna happen.
'I thought it would be fun to carve a bird for Nicole.
I've never carved anything before, but I...
I had some free time over the weekend, so I watched a...
a two-hour YouTube video a couple times,
ordered the right kind of knives, and...
after a few tries, I was pretty happy with it.'
The first one I made had really big eyes.
But then I remembered Nicole doesn't like being looked at sometimes,
so... so I got a glass cutter and I cut out some little sunglasses.
And then, I polished it the same colour brown
as a bag of hers that I know she likes.
It... It's just my way of sayin', "Hey, what's up?"
- I mean, how long do you think it took him? - Too long.
Longer than we've ever spent talking to each other.
- Stop... - It's just too much.
Yeah, no, I mean, a hand-whittled bird is not
what you'd expect from a healthy young man.
I think I should've used a better wood.
I used pine like a simp. I don't... I don't think she likes pine.
Nah, no, no. It's not the wood.
It's the woodsman. A hand-carved bird?
You might as well have carved her an engagement ring.
You're freakin' her out. And you're freakin' me out.
You're freakin' Adelola out.
And frankly, you're freakin' out all the Softees guys back there.
- How many people know about this? - Everyone who's facing this way.
I know.
So, what should I do?
Should I just act like I don't like her?
Exactly. Dude, I'm icing out my stepdad right now,
and he's beggin' for it.
I like makin' Nicole homemade gifts.
I'm a proud Michael's Reward member.
Um... But I realise it may be too much for her,
so I'll probably just hold off until later, maybe.
After our wedding.
I'm just... I'm kidding.
I don't have a lot of friends outside of my fishing collective.
Uh... But Detrick is cool. He's nice, he's tall, smells good.
And, um... I'd like to think he would do the same for me
if we become friends like I am planning.
Alright, this is humiliating.
Hey, Wesley.
Wesley, are you on mute? I didn't hear you say hello.
I didn't say, "Hello."
- OK, well, this is Ned Sampson. - The Spelling Nazi.
It was actually semantics, not spelling, but...
- But you're still a Nazi? - No.
I'm, uh... I'm... I'm calling to apologise.
OK. Not accepted.
No one leaves this room until he accepts that apology.
I... I'd really appreciate it if you...
if you took the story down, pal. - Not gonna happen.
Also, "flammable" and "inflammable" are the same.
Wesley, I'm sorry, you're just wrong here.
- He's right. - He's what? - The same.
- "Flammable" and "inflammable". - That makes no sense. - Cool.
- Uh... I'm... I'm gonna go cos I'm busy... - No, no, don't go.
- No, that... No... - Wesley, hi.
Ciao. This is Esmeralda Grand,
managing editor of TTT online,
very cool, very sexy, very innovative.
I want to apologise for Ned.
He resents children because he can't have any of his own.
- He sat on a stove in high school. - That's... - And it was on.
That's not true. That didn't happen.
So, Ned's a premature grandpa
with his, uh... print paper.
But at TTT, we are completely different.
Ice cream on Thursdays.
Very fun, very chill vibe, a lot of rizz.
Nothing sus, nothing mid.
And we are also very concerned about climate change.
We... We all get to have ice cream on Thursdays, Wesley.
- Everyone on the floor, it's not just digital. - Yes, old man.
- TTT online, huh? - Yes.
- That's definitely more my speed. - Come intern with me. Let's collab.
- Looking forward to it. - Ciao, bro!
Hey, Wesley, how... He knows how to say goodbye.
And that is how it's done.
That was an absolute master class in talkin' to kids.
'Am I "threatened" by SoWesley?'
I'm not... I'm not threatened by SoWesley.
The two types of media work completely differently.
You have a blog, one person reads it. That's it.
You have a paper.
They might leave that in a coffee shop.
Someone else comes in. They read it.
They take it with them. They leave it on the bus.
Now you've got two people reading it. Someone else picks that up.
Three people.
That person's homeless. They wrap themselves in it at night.
Can't wrap yourself in a blog.
Mm.
I don't know how I can sugarcoat this, so I won't:
at this point, we don't have a show.
I repeat, we do not have a show!
Pick that up.
I see some of you are getting emotional.
Do you know what would happen if we cried at Juilliard?
Do I have to remind you that Defiance High School is
mounting an amazing production of "Bye-Bye, Birdie"
that's gonna blow your asses off?!
- Alright, there we go. - Mister "K"?
- Let me fly it. - No.
Gimme a 360, like, you know, like, uh...
the camera thing in the Oscars?
- You mean the GlamBot? - Uh-huh!
- Hey! Hey! - What?
Is it too much to ask to not have any flying robots in this office?!
- I can't even think over here! - We can't hear you, Kimberly!
We're trying to work over here!
Hey, you didn't say executive parking,
so I was across the street in the parking lot;
this is executive parking.
Did you see what this little brat did?
"Esmeralda Grand, 51, Editor of TTT Online,
begged me to work for her, quote, 'sexy website'.
Was she hoping to violate more than child labour laws?"
You're a lot of things, but you're not-
Fifty-one! I know!
- It's slander! - Yeah, OK.
- This kid is a menace. - He's a threat to "your" paper.
Like, if there's no Truth Teller,
who is going to preserve ethics in journalism, and truth,
and all that other shit that you say?
You're right.
Are you on board for revenge?
Ethical revenge, yes.
We cut his brakes,
and then what happens after is in the hand of God.
I think that's too much.
- Welcome to our playground. - Nice to meet you.
I don't think I've had the pleasure.
Oh, wow. Well, Mister "K" is famously good at never forgetting
a face or a voice. It's good to see you again.
Ah. Yes, Mare.
- So, I was a former student of yours. - Oh.
I auditioned for Anna, the lead in The King And I?
Ah. You remind me of a young Tyne Daly.
But you know who got that part? Our dear, dear Allison Page...
- Mm. - ..just a delightful little songbird.
Now, a lot of people felt like she only got that part
because her parents donated that fog machine. - Mare...
Would you say that had anything to do with your decision making?
What is this? Are you even a real paper?
- We're from The Truth Teller. - Then, let me tell ya the truth.
You didn't get the part cos, obviously, you weren't good enough.
- OK, and Allison Page was? - Yeah.
She was a soprano when the role was clearly meant for an alto.
She improvised most of her lines,
which is a little problematic for a show set in 1860s Siam.
Oh, and... she wasn't that good.
- Heh. - Well, this space, the... what you did with it...
I don't play favourites, Mare.
I play performers.
- OK. - And my apologies that I can't recall anything,
not a thing, about your audition.
But I always remember the great ones.
So you can deduce from there how ya fared.
And we're ba-a-a-ack!
Turns out, Mare has a grudge
against Mr K, and it...
Ooh... nope!
Not arts and leisure related.
We convince him his father is not his real father.
Kids hate that.
That's interesting.
We smear a little dog shit on his retainer.
Just a little teaspoon.
- How would we get into his...? - Through the window!
We give him Lyme disease.
I think I have the right kind of ticks.
My aunt has Lyme disease, and it's not...
- Have you ever had that happen- - Ken!
- Go away! We are working! - Pardon me?
We are working, Ken!
Thank you!
Jealous? Uh... No. No, no. No.
I actually think it's quite good that, uh...
Esmeralda and Ned are getting on so well.
Really good. Good for business. Uh... But is it good? Really?
I mean, Esmeralda and Ned don't really gel, would be my one thought.
Whereas, of course, for example, Esmeralda and I...
well, we share a certain European sophistication.
Not that the UK is currently in the EU.
Thank God.
- I need to get back to work. - 'Course you do. Yeah. - Yeah.
Mm-hm.
Which tape?
Oh, you mean this tape.
Um... So, this is for my headaches, you know?
So, the... the tape, um...
like, pulls back the pain.
Wait, I got it. I got it.
We anonymously send Wesley a fake press release.
If he publishes it, everyone finds out
that he doesn't verify his sources,
and his whole reputation is destroyed.
- Oh, wow, yes, boom! - Yeah?
And so, he's untrustworthy, and I'm not 51!
Yes. We just need a... a believable...
- Yeah. - ..press release. OK,
- So... - Yes. - Um... Layoffs?
Potential upcoming layoffs at Corning Glass.
- Wow. Incredible. - Hm?
- Such a perfect level of bland. How do you do that? - I don't... I...
-It comes so naturally to you, right? -It comes naturally. Yeah!
Oh, Nicole.
Do you, um...
Do you have the... the new numbers on the... the half page ads?
- Yeah, I'll send 'em right over. - Cool. Thanks.
Yeah. Detrick may have gotten the message.
Phew.
- Off the record? - Yeah.
Mister K is a character.
- A "lot" of insecurity for such a tall man. - Yes.
W-Would you say he's also arrogant? I mean, some people can be both.
He manages to drop Juilliard into every conversation.
- Yeah. - I went to Yale. - I never bring it up.
Is there anything else you can tell me?
I just think it's all an act.
Thank you! Yes! It is all an act.
That is so great. Can I use that as a quote?
No, absolutely not.
The last teacher who spoke poorly of Mister K got reassigned
to a different school district like a bad priest in the night.
No. You want a quote? He's a "pillar of the community."
Don't be fooled by the pink
- He is not playing dolls... - No!
He is stalking the halls... - Christ, start walking!
For the thrill of the kill... - Bright faces! Wide eyes!
Every person in school Is aware of his...
- What do you think? - "Weak exports force
loss of 300 jobs."
Wow. Bravo, Ned. It's so convincing.
Are you sure "Joanna Pringlebottom" sounds like
the real head of PR of Corning Glass?
Ned, I don't want to be here all night, OK?
Should we really do this? Maybe it's like an angry email
that you write and don't send.
It's like we got it out of our system.
- Ned... - Yeah.
- You know, when I was a little girl... - Mm-hm.
..one night, my mom entered in my room,
and you know what she told me? - What'd she say to you?
She said...
Ha! Sent it!
What's a synonym for "atrocious"?
Heh. I'm not asking. It's...
OK, Emma Gadsdon gets Elphaba and look...
big ad from her family's contracting business.
2014. Kristen Mayhew, her mom is comptroller of Hollywood Casino.
- OK. - And here's the full-page ad.
Sergio Giacoman, 2016. OK?
He was actually pretty good and did end up going to Broadway.
But his parents owned the local Dillard's,
and here's the full-page ad! - OK.
I mean, this has been going on for years!
Mister K has clearly just been, you know, feathering his nest.
Um... If there were ill-gotten gains,
I wish he would've spent the money on voice lessons for the kids.
- OK. Mare... - Yeah?
..I see what you see.
But this is not hard proof. Right?
Maybe the proud parents bought ads after to support their kids.
-I know, I just know he's full of it. -Well... -You know?
Are you an "R"-word?
Ken, you cannot say that. You...
-You can if it's just an initial. -It's... what the initial stands for.
Well, then, I'll say the whole word, won't I?
Rascal. Are you a rascal?
- I was just trying to speed things up. - Ken. Come on. What is it?
SoWesley's got the scoop.
- What? - The Corning Glass layoffs.
Oh, my God! He ran with it.
How are you letting a child beat you to this?
No, no, Ken. I'm the one beating the child.
- Excuse me? - Ken. Ken. - Yeah?
- No. - No? One thing I would say is...
..I don't love feeling excluded.
And I know I'm not really contributing anything
to whatever this is,
but I do like the idea of being able to stand with you.
Just for them, you know? So it looks like I'm taking part.
I can laugh when you laugh.
-I don't need to understand the joke. -Right?
- OK. - OK? - I think you can leave.
Off I go? Alright. Ha-ha-ha!
Fantastic.
God, finally.
We got him?
We got him.
- Oh! - Mm-hm. - So now we finish him!
I guess!
"Mr Kirby celebrates 30th year at Derrysburg."
Mr K is a pillar of the community."
- This is fine. - It's not.
You could've written a hit-piece.
But you didn't. You stuck to your principles.
Hello?
Speaking.
Oh, yeah, thanks for getting back to me.
Uh-huh.
Yeah, one second. Are you sure?
Phew...
I made one small change to my piece.
Turns out, Juilliard's favourite son never went to Juilliard.
He's terrible.
He had it comin' He had it comin'
He only had himself to blame
Oh, my God, maybe he was right.
No, I'm just rusty.
Nicole.
Can I talk to you for a second?
Uh... Yeah.
Um... I feel like I've...
I feel like I've been a bit much lately?
Oh, no.
Well, yeah...
I'm sorry. Uh... I...
I didn't realise at the time, I just...
Hear me out: I feel like... I feel like I need
to tell you that I like you. - Yeah.
I'm really not in a place right now-
- Like... - ..to start... - Like 3.5.
- What? - I like you 3.5.
- Yeah, out of ten? - No, out of five.
Because out of ten would be like you hate me.
Yeah, no, I... I like you,
but just, like... just casually.
Alright, I'll see you... I'll see you later.
Alright.
"Popular child's blog spreads vicious lies.
Esmeralda Grand, 37,
Editor of TTT Online,
lead the investigation."
- I wonder if he's upset. - Who cares?
You saved the local media, whatever.
What do you need more?
'Did I go too far?'
What is too far?
Is it using the power of the press to disgrace a high schooler?
That's probably too far.
And I think I went it.
- Hey. - Hey.
I liked your very, uh... balanced piece on Mister K.
- Oh, thank you. - Yeah.
You doin' OK? I saw some of the comments.
Oh, my God, you should hear the voicemails.
I got called several different species of animals, including:
bitter cow, frigid pig,
venomous snake, and poisonous dog.
I read a great quote the other day that I wanted to share with you guys.
"The courage in journalism is sticking up for the unpopular,
not the popular."
Well, uh... someone told me that I had goat eyes today.
- I don't have goat eyes... - Oh, no, no, no.
But the Julliard thing was a hundred percent confirmed.
- Oh. - And you know, if people are mad that I pointed it out, so be it.
At least I did the right thing.
- God... ..you must be rubbing off on me. - Hm?
How great is that?
"Poisonous dog"?
"The most important part of any article is the byline.
You get one reputation in this life.
Protect it.
- At all costs." - Who said this?
Geraldo Rivera.
Yeah, I like to come up here to fly the drone.
This is like therapy to me.
I also go to regular therapy, but this is awesome.
It's just so beautiful up here, man, I ju...
Oh...
Alright, Detrick...