Magic weapon

"So you mean to say that today's news media interprets news from their own perspective, abandoning the truth for economic benefit?" Brad was not willing to be defeated so easily and continued to confront Hugo. Although he was not aggressive, the determination in his eyes burst forth, giving Brad's rebellious appearance a semblance of a righteous crusader.

Hugo felt the breath of Brad's direct confrontation and couldn't help but restrain his smile, staring straight at Brad without flinching. "Yes!" Hugo's tone was not intentionally raised, but his words were sharp and forceful. Although Hugo's expression didn't feel particularly righteous, the confidence and determination emanating from his bones were clearly conveyed through his voice.

"I think we both know that news reporting can't possibly include all the details of the factual truth, it can only come close to the truth, or it can be a selective fact. In the process of news reporting, every media outlet will have its own standards for selecting facts, which is also the reason for the differences among major media outlets." Although Hugo was not a professional, for the highly developed internet news of the 21st century, as an ordinary person, he also had his own understanding of these issues.

"From the perspective of news theory, indeed, objectivity and truthfulness are the core values that any media should adhere to, but you have overlooked the fact that in highly commercialized societies, even the media must consider the market-oriented tendencies, which will inevitably affect their standards for selecting facts." Hugo's words were like the distant tolling of a bell, resonating in Brad's ears. "To increase ratings, to beat competitors in fierce competition, the media has to pay attention to the stimulation and drama of news and give detailed coverage and hype to the news with so-called 'market value'."

Brad wanted to interject and refute, but Hugo didn't give him a chance. His intimidating gaze suppressed Brad, making his words always get stuck in his throat, and his brain was forced to follow Hugo's thoughts, unable to find a gap to turn his own thoughts. Although Hugo didn't raise his voice or slam the table, this kind of intimidating momentum made it impossible for Brad to make an effective counterattack. It was a really terrible feeling!

"Many times, the content of news is not important, and the consequences of news are not important either. Only the news that is sensational enough to win readers and viewers is the most important. Isn't that how headlines are made?" At this point, there was no other voice at the dining table, including Martin, who had always had a very strong presence. At this moment, he also fell silent, and only Hugo used his warm yet firm voice to expound his point of view, impacting everyone's thoughts. "Take the Rodney King incident as an example. It might not be a big deal that the police beat up a parolee who resisted arrest, but when white police officers brutally beat an innocent black man for no reason. Impossible to not attract the attention."

"Actually, from the perspective of KTLA TV station, they just chose news facts based on their own situation. They didn't anticipate that the consequences would be so severe. Or perhaps, compared to the fate of the four white police officers, they chose the TV station. The choice of interest was that simple." Hugo's words made people feel cold all over, even those in the entertainment industry felt their lives were in danger as if they were playing into the hands of the media, helpless like a grasshopper trapped in a jar.

"But..." Brad finally found his voice, squeezing out a word from his dry throat, but he had lost his previous righteousness and sounded more like someone in a death struggle. "But what about the truth in the news? What about the media's ethics?"

"Truth? Did KTLA TV station not report the truth? No, they did report the facts, because what was shown in the video is the truth. They just chose to report this part of the truth and ignored the cause of this part of the truth. That's all." Many times, the media does not necessarily distort the facts, they just make choices based on their own interests, choosing an angle to report the facts.

In the Rodney King incident, the media chose their own interests, sacrificing four white police officers, fueling racial conflict, and even shielding the criminal, Rodney King, making the TV station's behavior even more unforgivable. But this was the cruel and cold reality of society.

This time, Brad could no longer speak, sitting on the chair in despair, although his back was still straight, his sense of justice had dissipated between his brows.

Rob watched Brad and Hugo confront each other, Brad being more dominant, occupying the moral high ground and constantly pressuring Hugo, while Hugo remained calm and composed, steadily using the facts in his hands to counter, even in the face of Brad's step-by-step approach, he did not lose his sense of appropriateness.

The impact of this debate on the Rodney King incident was actually minimal because they were not at the top of the Hollywood pyramid, and couldn't be considered as opinion leaders. They were insignificant. But this reminded Rob of the courtroom debates in "A Few Good Men". The male protagonist, Daniel, also faced many difficulties, peeled back the layers of reality, bravely rebelled against established facts, and ultimately achieved true justice.

Actually, strictly speaking, both Brad and Hugo were good choices to play Daniel. Otherwise, Rob wouldn't have arranged for them to audition. Although Brad was at a disadvantage in the previous argument, his tenacious attitude during the debate was not affected. On the other hand, Hugo's performance was impressive, with clear thinking, logical structure, full of confidence, and powerful momentum, almost leaving the other experienced actors present in awe. Both of them have their own strengths, but there was no problem for either of them to replace Tom Cruise as Daniel.

Rob originally only mentioned the Rodney King incident to see how Brad and Hugo would express their personal opinions, but he didn't expect it to spark a debate and gain unexpected results. However, seeing Brad's frustrated look, Rob knew that things should not be too heated, after all, they were not lawyers or jurors and didn't need to be too entangled in this matter.

Seeing Martin's hesitation, Rob knew that Martin, who was used to taking the initiative, intended to resolve the situation. However, Rob stopped Martin with his eyes. He didn't want the agent to interfere too much in today's audition, which would affect his correct judgment of the actors. "Brad, why do you want to play this role?"

This is also an official question during auditions, and almost every actor will prepare for it. Hugo also had his answer in mind, but he immediately gave up. Who knew if Rob would ask him the same question next, it was better not to have a preset answer and be more adaptable.

"As Martin just said, I have always admired your work. When I found out that this was a film directed by you, I was very much looking forward to it. Winning the opportunity to audition has made me pleasantly surprised." Brad was indeed a strong person. He quickly recovered from the previous setback and temporarily suppressed his thoughts on the Rodney King incident, focusing on the audition again. "I believe that working with you on a project will be a rare experience."

Brad's answer was conventional and he also complimented Rob, and one could feel that Martin's influence was present in it. After all, as a senior agent, Martin's grasp of the industry's pulse couldn't be underestimated. In contrast, Joseph did not tell Hugo anything and completely left it up to him to improvise.

Upon hearing Brad's words, Rob couldn't help but smile, "I'm actually under a lot of pressure. I've been worrying about it before shooting this movie."

Rob and Brad were chatting and having a good time, while Hugo was left out in the cold. But Hugo wasn't in a hurry. He had just had a big moment to shine, so there was no need to be overbearing now. Besides, Rob definitely had his own calculations in mind.

Sure enough, after about three minutes, Rob casually asked, "Hugo, what about you? Do you have any expectations for this film?" The question had been slightly modified.

Hugo had been in the midst of finishing off his last chicken wing and was hesitating whether to put it down or keep eating. As a result, he was momentarily stunned by the question. This action made Rob laugh involuntarily. Hugo put down the fork with the chicken wing and said, somewhat embarrassed, "I don't have any expectations. I just need a job, so I came to audition."

Hugo's honest answer surprised not only Rob, but also Joseph, Brad, and Martin. Hugo knew he was not only competing with Brad but also with Tom, who had not shown up. In terms of qualifications, popularity, box office, work, and reputation, Hugo had no chance of winning. Therefore, instead of calculating and scheming, it was better to be frank and honest, which might give him a chance.

"To be honest, I only received the audition call this afternoon. I have no concept of the script or the film. Except for the name of the movie, I don't know anything about the content." This was the truth. Although Hugo despised himself inwardly for not knowing anything about the film, he continued to speak calmly.

"Of course, it's not easy to have job opportunities come knocking on my door right now," Hugo joked. This made Rob and Martin smile, which made Brad very unhappy. He glared at Martin, showing his disapproval of Martin supporting Hugo. However, Hugo was not affected and continued, "And, being able to work with Jack and Rob, I don't think I have anything to complain about. So, I'm here, waiting for you, Rob, to critique me."

This last honest statement made Rob unable to hold back and he finally laughed out loud.