Chapter 63: The Reporter in Action

[Chapter 63: The Reporter in Action]

"Link, do we really need to contact the people from the footage we shot and set aside funds for PR? Isn't that a hassle?"

"It's not a hassle. The footage is just two or three minutes long, and at most, we only need to feature about forty viewers. It won't cost a lot. Once the movie takes off, many viewers might be willing to cooperate with us to promote it for their chance to be on TV."

"That's all hypothetical. Assuming the movie does well and the viewers are willing to cooperate. If it doesn't succeed, all this work would be wasted."

Chris Barnes grabbed a crystal paperweight from his desk and used it as a dumbbell, curling his arms up and down.

"Don't worry, it won't be in vain."

...

After Chris left, Link continued reading the newspaper. He browsed through numerous articles that had been selected by Lily, focusing on Guess Pictures and news about their upcoming movie.

Following the screening of their new film, many media outlets reported on the event, mostly focusing on negative reviews. The tabloid, The National Enquirer, featured a bold headline about the event.

The article claimed that Link had held a private screening for his new film yesterday, with many prominent producers from Hollywood in attendance, including Scott Rudin, Richard N. Gladstein, Robert Shaye, Harvey Weinstein, Andrew Reiner, and others.

The reporter had spoken with the notable producer Andrew Reiner at the event. He indicated that Link's film was of very poor quality, shot with a handheld camera, and the footage looked like it had been filmed by a child.

Andrew and the others remarked that the movie was too disappointing, prompting them to leave early. Along with Andrew, thirteen other prominent producers from Universal Pictures, Carolco Pictures, Regency Enterprises, and Castle Rock Entertainment also departed early. These producers supported Andrew's view, believing that Link's film needed significant improvement.

Beyond Andrew, several producers, including Sarah MacArthur from Walt Disney, also left midway through, their expressions serious as they exited. The reception for Link's new film was not looking good.

...

The third-rate tabloid, the Los Angeles Chronicle, similarly noted in today's news about the film's distribution status. They reported on credible sources that due to the negative response from the screening, no film companies were currently willing to pay a premium for the distribution rights to Link's movie; he might once again face the challenge of self-financing its release.

Whether Link could replicate the box office miracle of Buried through self-funding this time was still uncertain. Besides the LA Chronicle and The National Enquirer, several other papers mentioned this same subject, with most reports remaining unfavorable.

...

"Link, there are a lot of tabloids out there undermining our film. Should we ramp up our PR efforts?" Lily poured a cup of tea and placed it on the desk.

"That's not necessary; these reports won't impact our film at this stage."

The entertainment industry's media often operated similarly to extortion. After acquiring negative news items about a company or public figure, they would leak information, pressuring the entity or individual to pay to bury the story; if the payment wasn't made, the negative news was published.

Even after payment, the tabloids wouldn't stop. Sometimes their tactics became more aggressive, treating companies and public figures like cash cows, milking them dry until they collapsed under pressure.

Dealing with these media outlets was relatively straightforward; it could often be managed through talent agencies.

The reason was simple. Despite the number of media outlets, 90% of those controlling mainstream opinions were related to the major media conglomerates. These conglomerates had strong ties with talent agencies.

For instance, if a major star under CAA had an affair with a married person and was filmed being chased by the woman's husband, Fox would prepare to run the story once they acquired the footage. CAA president Michael Ovitz would then call Rupert Murdoch, the chairman of Fox's parent company, News Corp, requesting that the story be pulled.

Ovitz had once introduced Murdoch to a great internist; they had a friendly relationship. Thanks to this connection, the news didn't get aired. Nonetheless, rumors circulated in Hollywood that the star in question was possibly Oscar-winning actor Dustin Hoffman.

Now, with negative news emerging about Link and Guess Pictures, he could request assistance from the William Morris Agency (WMA). Given WMA's connections in Hollywood, they could help.

However, there was always a cost. Once he asked for assistance, he'd be expected to return the favor, and he wouldn't be able to refuse.

Considering that the current negative news was limited and not that influential, he believed that the PR department at Guess Pictures could handle it. For now, Link had no plans to seek outside help; he instructed his three executives not to be affected by the media and to continue promoting the film as planned.

----

In Burbank, Los Angeles, in the office of the editor-in-chief at the American Forum.

"Max, you wanted to see me?"

Veteran reporter Thomas Miller knocked and entered the office of the editor-in-chief, Max Raymond.

"Thomas, I remember you submitted a detailed investigation report on the Connecticut Ghost House incident a few weeks ago?" Max asked, setting down his pen.

"Yes, you didn't approve my report and said it was outdated and no one would be interested."

Thomas shrugged.

"Is that report still around?"

"Of course. I spent two weeks investigating in Connecticut to write that report; there was no way I'd lose it."

"Great, I want you to reorganize that report and split it into three to five social news pieces. We'll serialize it in the newspaper over the next few days."

"Really? Why the sudden interest in running it now? May I know why?"

"You don't need to know why; you just need to understand that you'll be receiving a nice bonus this month."

"Haha, that's fantastic! I love bonuses; I'll go sort the report right now."

Thomas happily bid farewell to the editor and closed the door, humming as he made his way to his cubicle to revise his manuscript.

...

Riiiing!

The phone on his desk rang, and Thomas answered.

"Hello?"

It was Al Simmons, a young entertainment reporter from the Los Angeles Times, eager to make a name for himself. They had shared drinks at The Edison bar a few times.

"Good morning, Al! What's up?"

"Good morning, Thomas. I heard you have quite a few investigations on paranormal events. Can you share some? I can pay $50 for each."

"Paranormal events?"

Thomas glanced at the report in his hand, suddenly realizing things were getting a bit 'paranormal.' Just a few minutes ago, he had been called to rewrite the Connecticut Ghost House report, and now Al was calling him to buy similar stories.

There was definitely something off here.

"I do have several ghost stories, but what do you need them for?"

"It's a task that came down from above; we need to write some paranormal news articles over the next few days. Come on, I'm an entertainment reporter, not a ghost writer! Where should I find ghost stories at a time like this? I've heard you've done quite a bit of research in this area and have amassed quite the collection; that's why I'm calling you for help."

"Is that so?"

Thomas rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Sorry, Al, I'm afraid I can't help you."

"Don't you have any pieces like that?" Al Simmons asked, disappointed.

"I do, but just earlier, Charlie and Michael called asking for similar reports too. I probably don't have enough of these paranormal stories to go around."

"How about $100? I'll treat you to drinks this weekend, and throw in a ticket to the Venus Strip Club. Come on, Thomas, help me out."

Al Simmons said excitedly.

"Emmm, all right. As a friend, I'll see if I can dig up anything extra at home and let you know tomorrow."

"OK, I'll await your good news."

"Goodbye, Al!"

...

After hanging up, Thomas couldn't help but smile proudly, returning to revise his manuscript.

Riiiing!

Before he could finish, Charlie Munger from the San Francisco Chronicle called, echoing Al's request.

Thomas used the same reasoning to decline.

Charlie offered him $150 for the report.

Thomas reluctantly agreed.

...

Thomas loved tracking paranormal events.

However, pieces like this didn't often attract many readers, and reporting them usually didn't boost the newspaper's sales, making the editorial staff less inclined to cover such stories.

Every time the paper lacked good news to report, they would pull these pieces out as filler.

But today was different. Not only had the editor-in-chief approached him for content, but many colleagues also came looking to buy his reports.

He had suddenly become in demand, going from being overlooked at the paper to being sought after.

Based on these unusual events, he speculated that someone was utilizing paranormal news for marketing purposes, steering public opinion to promote a product, such as a movie, a horror novel, or the opening of a paranormal museum.

Regardless of the reason, it was good news for him. He planned to release everything in his collection during this period to turn it into tangible benefits.

He believed that through these ghost stories, he could draw more attention to paranormal events. Perhaps he might strike it big too.

Content with his reports, Thomas nodded to himself and headed toward the editor's office.

*****

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